Long Distance
by DarkAuraWolf
Summary: Young school teacher, Iruka Umino, falls deeply in love with karate teacher, Kakashi Hatake, but little does Iruka know, Kakashi has a secret past that could possibly mean the end of their relationship.
1. The Dojo

Yo, Wolf here. So I've been watching a lot of romantic yaoi's haha and I suddenly wanted to try writing a story that had a more serious tone to it, rather than my usual randomness :) Hope you enjoy

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"So class, that is why the axis of symmetry for the origin is always-"

_Ring, ring, ring._ The melodic chime of the school's bell interrupted the young, tanned professor in the midst of his lecture. He placed the worn-out piece of chalk within his hands down gingerly atop a stack of notes for tomorrow's lesson on his desk, and turned to face the class with a warm smile on his face, whose radiance rivaled that of the sun.

"That's all for today," he began, picking up his crumpled backpack and squeezing various papers within it, as he continued with his farewell speech. "Don't forget to study hard like always! See you Monday."

"See you, Iruka sensei!" The class yelled in unison, as they proceeded to shuffle out of the classroom and down the halls of the Konaha Academy.

'Hm, do I have everything I need for the weekend?' Iruka questioned himself, scanning around the empty classroom one last time. 'I guess I do,' he confirmed, exiting the room and the school with the same radiant smile plastered on his sun-kissed face.

The streets of Konaha were as usual; bustling with citizens who were all eager to rush home and escape the afternoon traffic. The wind was quite chilly for an autumn's day, and the sun was beginning to recede faster than usual.

"I should probably hurry and try to get out of this cold," Iruka told himself, as he wrapped his arms around himself in an attempt to bring himself some much needed warmth. "Good afternoon Kurenai sensei, good afternoon Asuma sensei, good afternoon Genma sensei," Iruka said, greeting each person he passed on the street one by one, as if he was a broken record player. As he continued on his path, he couldn't help but here the screams and grunts that were emitted from the dojo across the street. Resembling a curious cat, he perked his ears to tune in to the foreign sounds.

"Don't worry! I'll get ya one day sensei!" a particular voice exclaimed with great determination- a voice that sounded all to familiar to the tanned man. Without putting any thought into his next choice of action, Iruka ran towards the source of that peculiar voice. Upon opening the doors of the fighting school, he was greeted with the sight of a young blonde of about sixteen years who was eagerly bouncing on the tips of his toes, with sapphire eyes that sparkled with great admiration for the man in front of him. The man extended a pale hand out to ruffle the blonde's hair, before returning it to its position at the side of his uniform, and smiled tenderly at the fawning boy.

"Naruto?"

The blonde boy suddenly stiffened at the sound of his name and slowly turned his head to face Iruka.

"Oh... hey sensei hehe. Um sorry about being absent for a while, but you see, I saw this dojo and it looked so cool and- hey! Are you listening to me, sensei?" Naruto asked, frantically waving his hands around in an attempt to get his sensei's attention. Iruka merely nodded slowly, eyes transfixed upon the older man, almost as if he were in some sort of a trance.

'That shaggy silver hair, that pale complexion, that lone blue eye and that mask... Surely this man must be young, I mean his muscles... his muscles...' Iruka thought, throat suddenly running dry. As if on cue, the man slowly approached the wide-eyed teacher and held out a hand in front of him to shake.

"Ah, you must be the Iruka Umino that Naruto is always praising. It is a great pleasure to finally meet you. I am Kakashi Hatake."

Iruka glanced around the empty dojo- first to the blue mats that were positioned neatly among the wooden floor, then to the steel rack that held various weapons and training devoices, such as leg and arm weights, and finally across the egg shell white walls of the small business. Once he established that the man was in fact addressing him, and that there was no one else named Iruka among them, he slowly extended his own hand forward and shakily shook the other's.

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There goes the first chapter :) As always, please review and tell me what you think. Your reviews are my motivation haha. Oh, and I'll try and update once a week


	2. The Ramen Shop

Hey wolf again :) Thanks for the comments guys, they gave me motivation to spend most of my day writing haha. Hope you like this cahpter!

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"Hey, hey, hey Iruka sensei, are you sick or something? You're burning up," Naruto questioned, placing a hand on Iruka's tomato colored forehead. The furiously blushing man jumped from the unexpected contact and slowly took a step back from the inquisitive blonde.

"Oh, uh, of course I'm not sick. I just…" Iruka suddenly stopped. Averting his eyes from both Naruto's and Kakashi's in an attempt to formulate a believable excuse. "I just thought of a volcano."

"A volcano?" Kakashi asked, his voice smooth and deep.

'Don't get distracted by his voice, don't get distracted by how your name would sound rolling of those lips in a moan when he's on top of you, pounding into your- damnit! Stop thinking that way!" Iruka mentally scolded himself, nervously fiddling with his hands.

"Uh, yea, a volcano, because it was cold outside," the nervous man began, still not making eye contact. "You know how the human mind is. It will believe anything you tell it too with enough convincing on your own part, so I thought that if I told myself that I was next to an erupting volcano, then I would become warm, and the cold will be nothing." The two men burst out into laughter at the teacher's theory.

"Leave it to you, sensei, to bring education and psychology into a normal conversation!" Naruto exclaimed, rolling on the floor in a fit of laughter.

"You know Iruka, my Karate master used to take me out to get ramen when it was cold outside. He always said that a hot bowl of ramen could warm you from the inside out, but I believe he was just obsessed with the flavors. Why don't you and Naruto join me?" the silver haired man offered, smiling kindly.

"What? Really? Ramen, ramen, ramen!" Naruto shouted, rushing over to Iruka's side, only to grab the man by the shoulders and shake him repeatedly. "Iruka sensei," Naruto whined, "you can't say no to free food!"

"Naruto!" Iruka yelled. "Watch what you say. Besides, I don't want to impose or anything," he mumbled, suddenly finding great interest in the wooden floor beneath him.

"Not at all," Kakashi started, running a hand through his wild, silver hair and chuckling slightly. "I'd be happy to pay for a beauty such as yourself."

"A beauty?" Naruto repeated, a devious smirk suddenly forming on his face. He let go of Iruka's shoulders and began prancing around. "Kakashi and Iruka, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-" Naruto began singing, but was soon cut off by a tanned hand across his mouth.

"Thank you, I would love that," Iruka said, smiling brightly at the karate teacher, his death grip on Naruto's mouth not easing the slightest.

"Great!" Kakashi exclaimed. "I know a great little ramen shop down town."

The walk towards the restaurant was quiet and peaceful, except for the few people that would walk by and ask if the two teachers were a couple.

'Just ignore them, Iruka. Just ignore them and try not to get flustered like usual,' Iruka thought in a desperate attempt to control his racing nerves. It was futile though, thanks to a certain hyperactive teen.

"Hey, hey, you know, those people are right- you two do go well together haha! But it's not like that will ever happen, since you're like a big bro to me Iruka sensei, and no one can steal you away. Believe it!" Naruto exclaimed, giving a thumbs up to Iruka.

"Haha thanks Naruto… I think. I'm not sure if I should be happy that you care for me so much, or mad that you want me to remain single, to tell you the truth," Iruka mumbled, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"I think you should be happy," Kakashi stated, glancing over at Iruka out of the corner of his eye. "Anyone would be honored to call you their lover."

"Thank you, Kakashi san," Iruka said, blushing a deep shade of red. "That's very sweet. Your girlfriend is very lucky to have someone like you."

"To tell you the truth, I don't have a girlfriend; I've never dated a girl before," the silver haired man responded, turning his attention to a nearby pond that they were passing.

"So you've never dated before? Neither have I, but I find that very hard to believe," the teacher chuckled.

"Well, actually…" Kakashi began, but was soon interrupted by Naruto.

"Kaka sensei, is that it over there? It smells so good and it must taste even better. Ramen, ramen, ramen, ramen! Hurry up you two!" Naruto rambled, speeding off towards the humble little restaurant, as if he had not eaten for days.

"Thanks again, Kakashi san," Iruka said, as the two followed their student into the quiet restaurant.

"Hello there, welcome. What will you be having this fine afternoon?" the owner asked, cleaning a cream colored ceramic bowl in the process. He was an old stout man, with curly brown hair that peaked out of the edges of his hat. His hands were calloused and his eyes shone with great wisdom in the art of making ramen.

"Can I have three miso bowls, five of the chicken shoyou, and I'm not sure what this is, but I'll take four and-"

"Naruto!" Iruka interrupted, glaring daggers at the now terrified boy. "We are being treated as guests, so please do not use up all of Kakashi san's money."

"Oh no, it's quite fine. Naruto can eat as much as he wants, and the same goes for you, sensei," Kakashi chimed happily.

"Thank you, Kakashi san," Iruka said, a soft blush forming across his cheeks.

"You two stop making kissy faces and order already!" Naruto demanded, which earned him a punch from the school teacher.

"The trio ate their meal happily, having small conversations about various topics, such as the weather and childhood idols, throughout the duration of the meal. Once done, Kakashi paid and the three left the small shop, thanking the owner and cook for the delicious food.

"Thank you once again for the meal Kakashi san. Naruto and I both appreciated it," Iruka said, mentally slapping himself for thanking the man yet again.

"Yea, sensei, thanks a ton! Wait, what time is it? Shit, I'm late! Sasuke's gonna kill me!" Naruto yelled out of the blue, bolting down the roadway; away form the two baffled teachers.

"Sasuke? Hmmm, better not ask, ne Iruka?" Kakashi questioned, placing his hand on top of Iruka's shoulder.

"Uh… Kakashi san…" Iruka started, but trailed of- losing his train of though, due to his closeness to the other.

"Please, call me Kakashi," the silver haired man said, leaning closer to Iruka, staring him directly in the eyes. "You know, I would love to do this again, but just the tow of us together; a date if you will. What do you say?"

"What? You're gay ?" Iruka shrieked, clasping his hands over his mouth as soon as the words escaped him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. It's just that it seems too good to be true."

"Haha, it's alright Iruka," Kakashi laughed, "but didn't you notice the hints I dropped? I'm not sure too many men would call another beautiful haha. I would have told you straight out earlier, but a certain young boy interrupted me," Kakashi finished, laughing heartily.

"I guess I'm oblivious," Iruka concluded, joining in on the laughter. The two soon managed to regain their composure, only letting out a giggle here and there. "I would love to go on a date with you Kakashi sa- Kakashi."

"Great," Kakashi responded, hugging the other against him.

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If I could wear a sticker that said "read and review" I would XD People might see me as weird though lol so I'll say it instead. Please review :)


	3. The Journey

Hey guys :) Wolf again. Well this chapter actually came to me in a dream lol. It took a while to update, because I was trying to make it a little longer, I got preoccupied with my new pet mice, and I also wanted to have a concrete idea of my plot. Enjoy!

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Iruka let out a loud yawn as he slowly stretched himself out in his bed, sitting upright with his hands extended above him towards the heavens. He pulled back the covers of his bed and slowly padded towards the window. He squinted in discomfort as the golden rays of sun washed over his apartment room.

'Well, today's April fourth. It's officially one moth since we've been dating,' Iruka thought, smiling giddily as he reminisced about their first encounter. 'I wonder if he remembers,' The young teacher made his way to the shower, grabbing his weekend attire along the way, which consisted of a simple pair of blue jeans, white sneakers, and a back shirt that had a lone white stripe hat ran down the front, left side. Once he was finished showering and dressing, he poured himself a bowl of cereal and a glass of milk. 'Thank heavens it's Saturday. I get to spend time with Kashi.'

_Ding. Ding. Ding._

'Who could that be at this time of day?' Iruka pondered, rising from the small wooden table, leaving his half eaten breakfast behind.

"Good morning!" two shrill voices yelled in unison.

"A-Anko and Kurenai?" What are you two doing here?" Iruka asked, eyes wide with shock and fear.

"Did we interrupt something?" Anko questioned, jabbing Iruka in the ribs with her finger.

"Interrupt something? What do you mean?" Iruka repeated, clearly confused.

"Well, I just thought you and your boyfriend might have been... how do I say this gently?" Anko asked, placing her hand on her chin to imitate the gesture of being in deep thought. "Having sex."

"What?" Iruka screamed, his face quickly flushing.

"You know, screwing fucking, making babies, putting some sugar in the sugar bowl," Anko replied, bursting out into laughter soon after.

"What she meant to say was that we wanted you to hang out with us today and catch up," Kurenai explained, grabbing a tan hand.

"Actually, I just wanted to spend time with-" Iruka began, but was stopped when Kurenai began dragging him down the streets of Konaha, along with a still madly giggling Anko.

"Wait! Where are you taking me?" Iruka finally managed to ask once he recovered from his shock at Anko's sexual outburst.

Kurenai turned around, smiling jubilantly at the young man, not missing a step in the process, and said, "We're heading to the park. I figured that it would be quiet enough to have our conversations in peace."

"But what about Kakashi?" Iruka questioned, trying to tug his hand free from Kurenai's iron grip. She decided to humor the man and release her hold on him. She turned towards Anko with a stern look on her face, pulling her close to her, leaning in to whisper in her ear.

"Will you behave now?" Kurenai hissed, her face so serious, that Anko gave a slight shudder in fear.

"Yes ma'am," was the reply she got from the shaking woman.

"Good," Kurenai responded, smiling brightly as she backed away from the other. "Follow me," she commanded as she turned and began walking towards the park once again. The other two exchanged glances with each other, and soon followed quietly, not wanting to aggravate the woman even further.

'I guess I'd be irritable too if I had to spend my entire day running up and down a hospital, tending to patients. I don't know how Kurenai does it,' Iruka thought, sighing in defeat as he treaded alongside Anko.

The trio soon arrived at a grassy meadow near the outskirts of the village. There were a few young children around who were playing ninja- wearing scarves and wool caps to shield them from the chilly fall day. Their mothers sat on a bench next to a lush oak tree, keeping a watchful eye on the child's safety, as small animals scurried by their feet in search of food. Kurenai chose a vacant bench underneath a maple tree, and the trio sat down. Their peace was soon disturbed by a mysterious figure.

"Iruka Umino right? This is for you" the figure said, holding out a small envelope; their voice low and harsh.

'By the sound of the voice, it must be a man,' Iruka concluded, glancing at the ma's attire.

He was wearing a grey jacket that covered his entire body, with a hoodie that covered the upper half of his face- from the bridge of his nose and up. His lips and chin were covered by a green scarf.

"Where did you come from and who is this from?" Iruka questioned, noting how much the man smelt of cigarettes.

"That's not important," the man stated in a monotone voice. "All that matters is that you follow the directions."

The figure turned around and retreated away from the trio. As soon as he was out of sight, Iruka glanced down at the envelope. The front was completely blank, except for a small peach colored rose plastered on the upper right corner.

"Oh! Is it a love note?" Anko asked, trying to snatch the envelope from out of Iruka's grasp.

"Ignore her; she hasn't had her dango today. You should open it. Who knows, it might be an important document," Kurenai said, patting Iruka gently on the shoulder. He looked down at the small envelope, debating whether or not he should open it.

'What's the worst that could happen?" he thought, gently ripping the edge of the paper, and pulling out what was inside. He read over the paper, looked up as if in confusion, and read over it once again.

_There are two parts two this request,_

_Out of the blue it came, I know,_

_So for the first part of your journey,_

_To the Yamanaka Flower Shop you shall go_

"Huh?" was all he managed to say after a few minutes.

"Well," Kurenai started, peering over at the piece of paper, "what does it say?"

"It says that I need to go to the Yamanaka Flower Shop... but why?" Iruka asked.

"Maybe someone left a package for you or something... or maybe that Ino kid needs some help," Anko answered, shrugging her shoulder.

"If it was that simple, then why go through all that trouble, and why word it so... so weirdly?" the man questioned.

Kurenai hesitated slightly before answering, which went unnoticed by the baffled man. "You know how peculiar Ino is. Don't you remember all that fuss she went through of dressing as a newspaper reporter and interviewing Sasuke, just to get to know him better?" Kurenai asked, laughing softly as she remembered the young girl's antics.

"Oh yea, how could I forget about that?" Iruka chuckled, causing Anko to join in on the merriment. "Then it's settled, I'll go help out Ino."

"All right. Anko and I will be off shopping in the mean time. If you need anything, we'll be at Konaha Mall," Kurenai beamed happily, dragging Anko behind her happily. Once the two were gone, Iruka tucked the note into his pants pocket and sighed.

"I have a feeling that today will be an odd day," he said out loud, as he began walking towards the flower shop. He arrived shortly and stood outside the shop doors.

"Yamanaka Flower Shop. No sense turning back now," Iruka said in a sad attempt to motivate himself to follow through with what the note told him to do.

He slowly pushed through the doors and was instantly bombarded with the scents of various flowers- ranging from roses and lilies, to orchids and zinnias.

"Oh, Iruka sensei! It's great to see you here," a cheerful voice yelled from across the shop.

"Good morning, Ino," Iruka greeted, as he sauntered towards the counter the young blonde stood behind.

"You know, it's quite a convenience that you stopped by at this time," Ino stated, bending over to pick up something from behind the counter. "Someone left a package here for you, but they didn't leave their name."

"Oh really?" Iruka asked, not too sure what else to say. The girl finally found what she was looking for- a large bouquet of roses that were all white, except for a peach color lining around each petal, with decorative stones situated at the bottom of the long and slender, green vase.

"These are the most decorative and expensive roses in the entire shop," Ino remarked, reaching between a few not fully open rose buds to pull out yet another small envelope. This one was exactly like the first, except that it had a small paw-print sticker in the upper right corner, rather than a rose.

"You should open it, sensei," the girl said, smiling softly. Iruka took the envelope from Ino and ripped the edge. He pulled out a folded letter and read it's contents.

_Your beauty surpasses these roses,_

_Since it has no end,_

_Now part two- to the Inuzuka's house,_

_I want you to meet a new friend_

"Hmm, it says that I have to go to the Inuzuka's house next, to meet a friend. I wonder who it could be," Iruka whispered, giving the girl a questioning look. Ino gave a slight shrug. "Thanks Ino I'll head over there right now," Iruka thanked, heading out the door and running towards his next destination, curiosity getting the best of him. Upon reaching the house, he was greeted by Kiba, who was wrestling with Akamaru on their front lawn.

"Ah, hello there, Iruka sensei," Kiba greeted, "you're just in time! I have someone here who's eager to meet you!" Kiba ran into his house, with the small, white dog behind him, before Iruka even had a chance to greet him properly.

"Eager as always," Iruka mused to himself, waiting for the boy to return. he soon came back with a tiny, brown dog, with soft curly fur, and a tan circle around it's left eye, nestled in his arms. A red bow was wrapped around it's delicate neck, and it looked to be no more that eight weeks old, and of the Pomeranian breed. "I see Yuki finally had her litter."

"Yea, someone came by and when they saw this dog, they immediately chose her as a pet for you," Kiba announced, holding out the pup to Iruka who gently cradled her in his arms.

"What? This is for me?" Iruka asked, completely stunned. He smiled as the young pup yawned and snuggled closer to his chest. "I've always wanted a dog of my own. I think I'll call her Sango."

"Would you like to know who has been sending you these gifts?" the young boy asked out of the blue. Iruka slowly nodded. "Turn around, sensei." Iruka did as told, and saw the last person he expected to see.

"Kakashi?" the tanned man exclaimed in surprise. The martial arts teacher merely laughed and wrapped his arms around the younger man, being careful not to crush Sango. "So... this was all you?"

"Haha yes, well except for the stranger who gave you your first envelope. That was Asuma."

"I knew he smelt like cigarettes!" Iruka exclaimed, causing the lovers to laugh. "And Anko and Kurenai..."

"They were in on it too, and so was Ino," Kakashi answered, knowing what his love was about to ask even before he finished his question.

"You're despicable," Iruka laughed, standing on the tips of his toes to give the masked man a kiss on the cheek.

"I love you too, and happy anniversary," Kakashi purred.

"Gross!" I don't want to see this!" Kiba yelled, running back into his house with the white fluff ball at his side, causing the duo to smile at his childish nature.

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Why can't most guys be like Kakashi T.T Lol oh well. I would like to thank all my loyal fans out there; you guys make my day when I get hits and reviews and favs *throws cookies out to you guys* Please review and tell me what you think :D


	4. The Photo

Yo! Wolf here :) This chapter was so fun to write. I actually got caught up in the moment haha. Hope you enjoy, and here's a little something to my reviewers:

pokeyspot: Thank you for giving my story a try, it means a lot to me

OrlandosLover2009: Thank you so much! And I'm working on making them longer haha

Ryu Earth: Thank you for reviewing all the chapters

tearfularcher: Haha I know right? Silly Iruka, but that's why we love him

Kit Fox94: Naruto is so unpredictable lol

CrazyShikamaruFan: Awe, thanks, and you bet I'll keep going!

dmg23: Shoot, don't we all? Haha

ou8smileydeath: Yeah, I was watching Inuyasha in the morning and I realized that I really love her name, so I decided to use it in my story, and thanks!

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_Ding dong!_

"Comming, comming!" a baritone voice answered. The person opened the door, and was greeted with two warm and familiar faces. "Iruka, Sango, I'm glad you two are here. Let me help you with that. I don't want your precious hands to deal with this back breaking labor."

"Kakashi, it's only a couple of boxes that I have to lift. You're so silly," Iruka laughed, bending over to pick up the few boxes he had with him; Sango already making herself comfortable in Kakashi's house, plopping herself on a burgundy rug in the living room. "Are you sure it's ok if we move in though? I don't want to be a pest or anything to you."

"Still as shy as the first day I met you, even after a year of dating. Of course I want you to move in. I love you dearly and I can't think of anything better than waking up next to you every morning, and sharing my life with you," Kakashi responded, grabbing the boxes out of the other's hands and ushering him inside the house and into the living room. "Wait, I lied, I can think of something better."

"What?" Iruka questioned, lowering himself down onto a plush, golden sofa, slightly miffed that Kakashi thought there was something better than him.

"You. In bed," Kakashi managed to say, instinctively ducking as the other threw one of the sofa cushions at him.

"Yea, well I'm still sore from last night, Mr. 'One more time, please.' Honestly, Kashi, I lost count after eight," Iruka huffed.

"And you lost consciousness after twelve."

"Shut up!" the school teacher yelled furiously, face flushing immediately.

"I'm not complaining," the silver haired man chuckled, holding out his hands in front of him as an act of defense.

"Pft, sure. Hey, let me help you with that. I don't want to feel useless," Iruka offered, rising from the sofa to aide his love.

"I can't have that. After all, you're still sore from last night, Mr. 'Harder Kashi, harder! Fuck me into the ground!'" the male teased, raising the pitch of his voice to imitate the other's cries of passion.

"At least I... at least I..."

"At least you what, dear?"

Iruka paused, trying to formulate a witty remark, but settled on tackling the other to the ground when he failed to do so, knocking the boxes out of his hand. He pinned the pale man's hands above his head, smiling in victory at his success.

"I never pictured you as the dominant type, 'Ruka," the trapped man stated, grinning from ear to ear, like a Cheshire cat. He quickly extended his right leg out and used it as a leverage to flip himself over, so that his weight was now pinning the younger man beneath him. Leaning in close to the teacher's ear, he whispered, "Or would you rather be the submissive one?"

He reached up to pull his navy blue mask down, and directed his lips to Iruka's ear, nibbling on it gently. The man beneath him let out a strangled gasp at the feeling of teeth scraping against his sensitive ear.

"Wait, Ka- Kashi, ah-" Iruka moaned out as the man gave a slow and teasing lick along the length of his neck. He grabbed the tan man's hips and roughly pushed his arousal against the other's, causing Iruka to moan loudly at the act. Iruka closed his eyes tightly, attempting to regain his focus and speech, but lost it when he felt a series of short, rapid licks across the side of his face. He opened his eyes in a flash to find out why there was a sudden change in his lover's behavior, but was met with a pair of mismatched eyes staring right back at him.

"Wait, if you're up there, then what the hell-" Iruka mumbled to himself, turning his head to the side, earning a long, wet, and sloppy kiss directly to his face.

"Sango!" Iruka exclaimed, laughing as the dog tickled his neck with her tongue.

"Looks like your dog just cock blocked me," Kakashi mumbled, slowly getting off of the man.

"What was that?" Iruka asked, looking up at the man while petting the dog that was currently curled up in his lap.

"Oh, it was nothing," Kakashi hastily answered, waving his hand in front of him in defense. "We should unpack those boxes," he offered, attempting to divert Iruka's attention from what he had previously said.

"But weren't you the one who just tried to- oh never mind," Iruka chuckled, placing Sango onto the floor, much to the dog's dismay, and rising from his seated position, stretching his muscles as he did so.

The two hurriedly packed away all of Iruka's personal belongings- from old photos of his family, Kakashi, Naruto, and his students, to old scrolls, text books, and even assignments. All that was left was the box full of clothes.

"I'll take care of that, Kashi." Iruka offered, scurrying off into the master bedroom with the box securely in his hands. He gently kicked the door open and placed the box on top of the emerald green sheets of the bed.

"All right, he said that the second closet was mine, and that it was located to the left of the dresser," Iruka mumbled, scanning the room. He spotted the dark brown, wooden dresser, noting how the intricate designs that were engraved within the glossy surface enhanced the golden hinges and knobs. A large mirror was centered between duel wooden columns, each holding four levels of shelves filled with various colognes and after shaves. He turned his focus to the left, and found the closet, whose door was slightly ajar. He walked inside and peered around at its features. Its walls were painted a tan color, just like the rest of the room, and it was unbelievably roomy. He glanced down at the sandy colored carpet and his eyes caught sight of a small, black box, with a silver lock that was left undone.

'Hmm,' Iruka thought, eyeing the box curiously, 'I wonder what could be inside. Wait! This must be something private, so I can't go around snooping. But if he didn't want me to see it, then wouldn't he have put it somewhere out of reach, or at least have locked it up?'

Before he knew it, he was reaching inside the mysterious box, eagerly pulling out its contents.

'Huh? It's just a photo,' Iruka thought, holding up the rectangular object, so that he could get a better glimpse at it.

He brushed some dust off from the wooden frame and looked down when he felt his thumb dip into patterned groves.

'Writing? Hmm, it says Navy. Does that mean that he- nah, if he was, then wouldn't he have told me? A friend probably just gave this to him or something,' Iruka mused, brushing over the letters once more with his thumb, a chill running up his spine as he did so.

He looked at the actual photo, and saw that there were two men and a young woman, who were dressed in navy blue suits; various badges and pins adorning their uniforms- their white hats held proudly against their chest. In the midst of them was Kakashi, dressed in his regular attire, holding up a bottle of beer. Even though his mask was in place, Iruka could still tell that he was smiling, just by looking at his eyes. But something was odd. Kakashi's eyes were both blue- not mismatched as they are now.

'Maybe it's the angle, or the ocean's reflection.'

The four of them were next to a pier, the ocean sparkling dazzlingly behind them as a ship was sailing into the horizon.

"I don't know why I jumped to that conclusion," Iruka whispered. "It's just obvious that Kakashi has very close friends, and that this photo is just a memory of their times together."

He placed the photo back inside its container and hastily packed away all of his belongings, smiling to himself at a job well done. He turned around to return to Sango and Kakashi in the living room, but found himself focusing on the photo instead.

'Damnit! Stop thinking like this. I'm acting like I don't even trust him, when I should!' Iruka scolded himself, falling onto the large bed in frustration. He ran his hands down his face and let out an exaggerated sigh, arms laying lifelessly beside him. He rolled onto his side and brought his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them, as his heart beat rapidly.

'Why am I acting this way? Why am I getting so emotional over this? For heavens sake, I'm acting as if I just found out that he was cheating on me.'

Iruka closed his eyes, listening to the rhythmic beat of his heart, searching the depths of his mind for an acceptable reason for his childish behavior.

'Maybe it's just the fact that he might be lying to me. But why would he lie about that? Ugh! I can't take this, I just need to forget about it and-'

"Oi, Iruka," a voice called out to him, reverberating throughout the room, interrupting the young man's thoughts. "You've been in here a while haha, and why are you curled up on my bed like that? Awe, is someone tired, or were you hoping for something else?" the man asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Is sex all you think about?" Iruka asked, laughing as he rolled onto his back, limbs spread out lazily.

"Well I also think about spending time with you and being with you, but when you look like that, all spread out and waiting for me, I just can't help myself," Kakashi purred, taking advantage of Iruka's position, crawling on top of him and nuzzling his neck with the side of his face.

"I see you finally took off that mask of yours, you paranoid hornball," Iruka stated, earning him a soft bite at the base of his neck from the other man. "And you need to shave."

"I figured that I won't be answering the door for a while, so there would be no need to wear it around. Besides, if I didn't have it on, then I'd probably be raped or something," the silver haired man answered, chuckling as Iruka rolled his eyes. "You know it's true. And don't you like my stubble? I do."

'He's right,' Iruka thought. 'He has a face to die for. Beautiful, shaggy silver hair, red and blue eyes that could melt a glacier with one look, a strong and narrow nose situated above tender, thin lips, with a strong jaw line to finish everything off.'

"Oh the horrors of being beautiful," Iruka mocked, rolling his eyes again.

"You know that I only belong to you," Kakashi said in a low and seductive voice. "No one can compare to you in beauty, personality, grace... well anything. I'm so lucky to have someone like you by my side. Iruka, I love you so much that it hurts," Kakashi confessed, burying his face into the younger's neck.

'Is this true?' Iruka questioned himself, looking up at the ceiling. 'That's it; I need to know once and for all.'

"Kakashi," Iruka began, but the other cut him off.

"Iruka, you mean everything to me. You're my life, my sun, my joy, my pride, the air I breathe- I need you by my side, always. Being with you makes me feel like I'm in a dream, a dream that I never want to wake up from."

"Uh, Kakashi," Iruka hesitantly said, turning his head to the left to face the other man.

"I know, I was being too emotional. I'm sorry if I scared you," the pale man apologized, not moving his head from the safety of Iruka's neck.

"No, no! That was sweet, and it made me happy to know you feel that way about me, because I feel the same about you, but... I found a photo in my closet. It was an old one. You were in it, along with a few others who were dressed in Navy uniforms."

"Oh that," Kakashi responded, lifting his head so that his gaze was focused on Iruka's. He gazed into those chocolate orbs and took a deep breath. "They were old friends of mine, who were in the Navy. We took a picture to remember each other before they went off to war, but they never made it back, so I keep that as a memory of our times together. Their names were Obito, Rin, and Minato.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know," Iruka apologized, wiping away a tear that strayed from Kakashi's eye. He wrapped his arms around him in a comforting hug. "I'm so, so sorry. I was wrong to question you about that."

"You did nothing wrong. You have the right to question me," Kakashi reassured, giving Iruka a sad smile.

"Just remember that I love you dearly, and that I don't ever plan on leaving you. If you need anyone to talk to, I'll always be right here," the tanned man comforted.

Kakashi pulled the man tighter against him, as if he were holding on for dear life.

"Thanks, 'Ruru. I knew I could always count on you."

The two remained in that position, Kakashi on top of Iruka, holding onto each other tightly, seeming to lose track of time and the world around them. All that mattered to them was that they had each other, and no one could take that away from them.

"Wait!" Iruka exclaimed suddenly, gently pushing on Akashi's chest. "What about Sango? It's way past her dinner time. She must be starving!"

"Huh? Oh yea, I'm sorry. I got caught up in the moment," Kakashi apologized, pushing himself off of the younger man. "You wait here. I'll take care of her dinner." he ran off before Iruka could even make a refusal.

'I can't believe I just did that. That was so wrong of me to try and pry into his past. Stupid, stupid, stupid!' Iruka thought angrily. 'I didn't mean to bring up those emotions.'

He slowly closed his eyes, trying to control his rage before the other returned, but it was too late.

"Hey, don't go to sleep on me now," Kakashi laughed, closing the bedroom door behind him.

"I'm not asleep, silly. I'm just thinking about how stupid I was," Iruka answered, cracking his eyes open.

"How are you stupid?" Kakashi asked, walking over towards the bed to sit next to the other. "Are you still hung up about what happened before?"

Iruka turned his head towards Kakashi and slowly nodded in shame. The older sighed and crawled on top of him once again, pulling off the black hair band that held up his hair, so that his soft, brown locks fell onto the bed and framed his perfect face.

"You're so beautiful, you know that?"

"Kakashi, I'm being serious."

"So am I," Kakashi replied, running his hand through his love's hair. "I told you before that you have the right to know about my past. You were in no way, shape or form wrong to question me about it, so please stop beating yourself up over the subject."

Iruka smiled, causing the other to smile as well.

"Ok, just for you, Kashi," the tanned man laughed happily.

"Good," Kakashi stated, running his fingers lightly up and down Iruka's sides, causing him to moan at the sensation of cold fingers working up and down his warm body. Kakashi grasped his Iruka's hip with his right hand, and brought the other's hands above his head with his left. He began grinding his hips into the man beneath him at a slow and teasing pace, drawing out heated moans and gasps from innocent lips.

"Iruka," Kakashi began, not stopping or slowing his actions. The pinned man looked up at him with half- lidded eyes, mouth parted slightly, and cheeks dusted a rosy red. "I need you, Iruka. I need you so badly, and I want you to show me how much you need me too. Now."

(break)

Woah! Looks like Kakashi's tired of things stopping him from claiming his precious 'Ruru XD Oh dear, what could possibly happen in the next chapter? Lol please review


	5. The Passionate Night

Ok, this is a continuation from the previous chapter. Enjoy!

Kaitlyn: Thankies! Look no further, it has arrived!

ou8smileydeath: This chapter is definitely for you then XP

(break)

All Iruka could do was utter a shaky moan at the other's command.

'Oh fuck, I've never seen Kakashi like this before. He's usually so gentle, but now he has a look of dominance in his eyes,' Iruka thought, his chocolate orbs watching the animalistic gaze in his love's eyes. 'Shit, this is turning me on so much.'

He gulped loudly and nodded his head slowly, slightly afraid to disobey the pale man's order.

"Good," Kakashi answered, his voice low and seductive; the tone traveling straight to the tanned man's groin, causing it to give a twitch in anxiety. Kakashi, feeling the slight movement, leaned in towards the other and whispered, "Prepare yourself, I won't be gentle tonight."

With that warning, he leaned back so that his full weight was resting on Iruka's stomach, keeping him firmly in place. Pale hands pried themselves underneath the forest green shirt, and traveled across sun-kissed skin, lightly brushing a hardened stub in the process. Iruka's body shivered at the sensation of cold fingers gliding across his warm flesh, arching ever so slightly into the touch.

"Now now my dolphin, I can't have you moving so much, now can I?" Kakashi asked, smirking at how wide the other's eyes had become, resembling large saucers. "What should I do with you… what should I do?" He pondered, rocking his hips back and forth teasingly, grasping an object at the top of the nightstand with his right hand. "Be a good boy, and I promise I'll reward you," he stated, as Iruka let out a low growl. He slowly brought the object into Iruka's sight, grinning at the look of shock on the other's face.

"Hand cuffs? When the hell did you-"

Before he could finish, Kakashi managed to cuff him, placing the silver key back onto the top of the nightstand. He grinned down at the pinned man in victory.

"You don't know how long I've wanted you like this. I want, no need you to beg me to fuck you- to pleasure you. I need you to scream my name so loud, that the entire village can hear your cries."

'Oh god, I can't believe being dominated like this would turn me on so much,' Iruka thought, losing all focus as Kakashi's hands resumed roaming his chest and stomach.

The pale man pulled off the t-shirt, leaving it to rest above Iruka's head, right below where his wrists were chained to the bedpost. He marveled at the expanse of flesh beneath him that was begging to be kissed, licked, and bitten all over. He pressed his thin lips against his love's neck, grateful when the teacher rolled his head to the side, allowing him more access. He kissed his way up to the spot where the other's ear and jaw met, inhaling the deep and intoxicating, earthy aroma the younger emitted, and bit down harshly without warning, leaving a purple bruise in place of the bite. He lapped gently at the mark in a soothing manner after he heard the tanned man whimper from the pain. He traced his tongue down the torso towards a ducky nipple, leaving a light trail of saliva in the process. Iruka trembled from the feather like touches, mewling when a pink tongue flicked gently flicked over his sensitive bud.

"You like that?" Kakashi questioned in a husky voice, removing his mouth from the aching stub, only to shift his attention to the other, fingers dancing up and down the shaking man's sides.

Iruka let out a strangled response that was lost in a moan.

"What was that? I can't quite here you," Kakashi teased removing his mouth from Iruka's chest, sitting back on his heels, hands crossed in front of his chest.

"Please, Kashi, don't stop… I need this, I need you," Iruka panted out, blushing when he realized what he had just said.

Kakashi watched as beads of sweat trickled down the other's face, chuckling sadistically at the response he was given.

"I don't think that will do, 'Ruru. Tell me what you need," he demanded.

Iruka flushed, lower lip quivering as he mustered up all the courage he had to answer the man. Averting his eyes from the other's lusty gaze, he whispered, "I want you to fuck me. I need your hard, thick cock deep inside of me, pounding me so hard that I won't be able to walk for weeks."

Kakashi grabbed a fistful of silky locks and crashed his lips against the pinned man, using the blushing man's sense of shock to wedge his tongue in between the full lips, and explore the cavern. He reluctantly pulled back, filling his lungs with much needed oxygen, as he drank in the sight of the panting man.

"Ka-Kashi," Iruka breathed out, "you're wearing too much clothes. No fair."

"I could say the same about you," the dominating man replied, pulling his gray sweater over his head and tossing it to the floor, smirking as Iruka marveled at his muscled chest. His pants soon followed, leaving him in only a pair of black boxers.

"Better my love?" Kakashi asked, earning a nod from the still mesmerized man. "Good, but it looks like you still have a few offending articles of clothing left on. Shall I help?"

He hastily unbuttoned and pulled off the man's jeans, not waiting for a reply, and groaned when he saw a tent straining in Iruka's boxers. Kakashi pressed his thumb against the wet spot that was visible near the edge of the undergarment, causing the younger man to let out a soft whimper at the slight pain that the pressure was causing. Kakashi leaned forward so that his face was directly in front of the clothed arousal, and gave a slow lick from base to tip, causing the pained member to twitch and rub against the fabric of the boxers.

"Take it off," Iruka demanded, not knowing how much more of the torture his body could take.

"I don't think you're in a position to demand anything from me," Kakashi stated, pulling against the chain of the hand cuff to remind Iruka of his current state. "Maybe if you asked nicely…"

"Please take it off," Iruka groaned, bucking his hips against Kakashi's.

The man complied, pulling off the red and black boxers, exposing the hardened appendage to the chilly air. The teacher gave a hiss as his bare erection came in contact with the cold temperature.

"Cold?" Kakashi asked, sliding a finger from the base of the cock to the tip, pre-cum oozing out as he did so. "Let me take care of that."

He engulfed the erection into hi hot, wet mouth in one swoop, holding down the other's hips with both hands when he began to buck uncontrollably. He slowly sucked on the length, humming in approval when Iruka began to make a series of keening and mewling sounds. He reached into his own boxers and grasped his leaking member, stroking it as he listened to his lover's cries.

"Nng, Kashi more, please," Iruka whined, remembering to add the word please to the end of his request.

The muscular man happily complied, burying the swollen cock all the way to the back of his mouth, so that his lips rested at the base. He raised his head back up and let go with a soft pop, only to repeat the process again and again. Iruka tugged against the chains, throwing his head back in pure ecstasy at the delicious treatment he was receiving. He could barely hear himself screaming over the sound of his racing heart.

"Want-touch-you," Iruka panted out, tugging at the chains once more, causing them to clank against each other.

Kakashi released his length once again, and licked his lips; lapping up any stray drops of um he might have left behind.

"You want to touch me that badly?" he teased, leaning in so that his lips were a few inches away from Iruka's. The other man leaned forward as best as he could, desperately trying to meet those soft lips in a kiss, but just when he felt as if he would succeed, Kakashi pulled away. "Sorry, but I'm not done with you yet," he said, giving the tanned neck a kiss before returning to the neglected arousal.

"You can't do- ah!" Iruka gasped as Kakashi deep throated him, eyes screwed shut in immense pleasure, body trembling in delight.

His toes curled into the sheets as Kakashi pushed his cock back into his mouth, swallowing once it reached the hilt.

"So good," Iruka rambled, his mind clouded with lust. "Kashi, I'm gonna-"

Iruka screamed his love's name at the top of his lungs, back arching as he shot hot, white spurts of cum into the other's mouth. Kakashi greedily swallowed every last drop, giving one last suck at the now limp member to make sure that every last tasty drop was out. Iruka fell back against the shackles in a daze, desperately trying to fill his body with precious air.

"Mmm, you taste so delicious. Would you like a taste?" Kakashi questioned, crawling back up Iruka's body to meet gazes with him.

Iruka unconsciously nodded yes, lips swollen from being assaulted earlier. Kakashi nibbled on the lower lip, causing the man to whine and buck his hips in an attempt to find more contact for his slowly hardening member. Kakashi pressed his lips onto the others, dipping his tongue into the hot mouth while grinding his hips roughly against his love. He smiled once he felt Iruka begin to harden even more, removing his lips from the ravaged mouth only to kiss his neck instead. He left a trail of feathery kisses as he moved down to the collar bone. Without warning, he bit down. Iruka moaned loudly, hands trying to break free from the cuffs, becoming instantly hard again.

"I see you're ready for more, ne? That's good. Before was just an appetizer," Kakashi purred against the man's heaving chest. "Looks like you're ready for the main course."

He reached over to the nightstand and grabbed the silver key, using it to unlock the hand cuffs. As soon as Iruka heard the click, he pounced on Kakashi, an animalistic glint in his eyes, knocking both of them onto the floor. He rolled the elder over so that he was straddling his waist.

'Time for revenge,' Iruka thought, as he smirked down at the pale man.

"Are you going to dominate me?" Kakashi questioned, rolling his hips so that his hardened cock pressed against Iruka's rear.

Iruka growled and crashed his lips against thin ones, rocking back and forth against the length beneath him. Kakashi groaned into his mouth, grabbing the tanned ass and pushing it harder against his clothed, aching need. Iruka pulled away, chuckling at his lover's need.

"I don't think you're in a position to demand anything from me, now are you, dear?" the teacher teased, sliding down the pale, sculpted body, so that he was facing the erection. Licking his lips, he pulled sown the last piece of clothing, exposing the cock fully. He gently blew on the oozing tip, sending a chill down the silver haired man's body.

"Gods Iruka, ride me already!" Kakashi pleaded, hands balled up in fists by his side.

"Nu uh uh," Iruka scolded, shaking his head in denial. "What's the magic word?"

"Now," Kakashi growled out, grabbing Iruka by the hips.

"So pushy," Iruka laughed, reaching into the drawer of the nightstand and pulling out a tube of lube. He poured some onto the tips of his fingers and leaned back, so that the other had a good view of his entire body. He slowly eased a finger into his tight entrance, groaning at the feeling of something finally being shoved inside of him. After a few thrusts, he slipped a second in, glancing over at the other man when he heard the needy whine he emitted. Kakashi was looking up at him with clouded eyes, sweat beading at his forehead as he furiously pumped his cock; breaths coming out in short pants.

"I bet you wish this was your cock, don't you? You want to be buried inside me, ripping me apart, pounding me into the floor, don't you Kashi?"

'Shit,' Kakashi thought, gulping at what his love had just said. 'He's a totally different person when he's turned on like this. Note to self, dominate him more often.'

"Do you want me?" Iruka purred out seductively, making scissoring motions with his fingers that were deep inside him.

The pale man moaned softly, his mind not able to formulate a suitable response, heart ready to pound out of his chest from sheer anticipation.

"I'll take that as a yes," the man on top cooed, removing his fingers from his entrance, only to pour more lubricant on them. He wrapped his hand around the throbbing cock in front of him, watching as it twitched in his hand. He let go and whispered softly, "I hope you're ready."

Without warning, he impaled himself upon the aching length, mouth open in a silent cry at the feeling of being stretched out. He began rocking back and forth at a slow and painful pace, running his palms over the glistening chest below him in the process.

"Damn, 'Ruru," Kakashi groaned between clenched teeth, "move faster."

"Why don't you make me?" Iruka teased, moving his hips even slower, grinning when the other growled.

"With pleasure," Kakashi said, grasping the tanned hips with both hands and thrusting up.

Iruka threw his head back and cried out Kakashi's name, seeing stars as the man beneath him rammed into his sweet spot over and over again. The room was soon filled with the various sounds of moans and groans, pants and whimpers, and the sound of flesh slapping against flesh.

"You're such a tease, aren't you?" the older man asked, caught up in the moment of passion.

"Oh gods, yes, I'm a tease," Iruka panted, head falling forward as his prostate was being deliciously abused.

"And you love it when you get so hot and worked up like this, don't you? You love it when I rip apart that sweet little ass of yours," Kakashi grunted out, increasing the speed of his thrusts. He soon fell into a rhythmic pace of long, deep, and hard thrusts.

"Yes, I love it all. I love the feeling of your hard cock inside of me- ah! More, please, I'm so close," Iruka cried out, tears forming in the corner of his eyes.

Kakashi moved his right hand from the now bruised hips to tend to the neglected, weeping cock. He stroked it in time with his thrusts, using the pre-cum that dripped out as lubricant.

'Just a little more,' Kakashi thought, feeling the other's walls begin to clamp down on him, the pressure becoming too much for him, as he felt his own orgasm rising.

"Kashi, I-" Iruka moaned loudly, loud enough to wake the entire village.

"Me too," Kakashi grunted, moving his hips rapidly, loosing the rhythm that he had established.

Iruka suddenly clamped down on top of him, cum shooting out of his blushing cock onto his and his lover's chest. The silver haired man slammed into the man a few more times, before he shot his seed deep within him. Iruka collapsed on top of him from the feeling of being filled to the brim, a silly smile on his face. He pushed a stray strand of hair out of the other's face and leaned forward to kiss the pale forehead before him. The older wrapped his hand around the tanned man's waist, a content look on his face as the other snuggled up against his chest.

"I love you," Iruka whispered, closing his eyes while letting out a small yawn.

"I love you too," Kakashi replied, closing his eyes too, to join his love in blissful slumber on the bedroom floor.

(break)

Wow, I don't know about you, but I need a shower. It was six pages long on word and I'm proud of myself. I moved from "pervert" to "pervert who knows how to write really long sex scenes." I literally had to type this with a fan blowing in my face -.- lol. Anyways, please review :D


	6. The Bar

Wow this week was sucky. I had food poisoning and was stuck in a hospital because of those stupid salmonella infested eggs T.T But I snuck my journal in and kept writing this story, even though I was supposed to be "resting." Enjoy!

Arctic0Kitten: Lmao, I thought I was the only one. My head was spinning after re-reading it

Ryu Earth: Haha Kakashi did day he wouldn't be gentle XP And yeah, that would be a little too cruel if I had forgotten it lol

Lo: Thank you!

(break)

"Kakashi, do I really have to go?" Iruka whined, taking a seat next to his boyfriend on the sofa in their living room. "You know the bar scene isn't my thing."

"Come on 'Ruru, we owe it to Genma and Raidou. I mean they've been asking for so long, so it only seems fair," Kakashi countered, draping his arm lazily around the other's shoulders.

Iruka remained silent, scanning the room, trying to formulate a reasonable excuse so he wouldn't have to go.

'Hmm. The T.V.? Maybe my favorite show could be coming on,' Iruka pondered. 'No… that would make me sound pathetic. What if I said I promised to take Naruto out for ramen? No, Kakashi would have known about it already. Besides, Naruto already made plans with Sasuke.' Iruka mentally cringed at the image he had just painted in his mind. 'Sango? Sango! That's it!'

"Hey, what if Sango misses us and wrecks the house out of doggie frustration?" the tanned man questioned, watching mindlessly at the comedy skit that was currently playing.

The silver haired man turned towards the other and smirked, seeing right through his plan.

"Doggie frustration? It's not like this is the first time we ever left her alone. She knows how to behave, don't you girl?" Kakashi asked the dog, who gave an enthusiastic bark and promptly returned to sleeping on the small, plush, burgundy pillow that the two had recently bought for her. "I'll take that bark as a yes."

"Ugh!" Iruka groaned out, letting his head fall back against the couch.

"Do I have to punish you?" Kakashi teased, leaning over to nibble on the exposed neck.

Iruka let out a soft gasp and playfully pushed against the other's chest. Kakashi gave him a chaste kiss on the lips before pulling back and locking gazes with the other man.

"So what's it gonna be, 'Ruru?"

"Huh?"

"Do I need to punish you?" Kakashi repeated, snaking his hand around his lover's waist.

Iruka paled as he remembered the last time Kakashi had severely punished him.

'I couldn't walk or think right for weeks,' Iruka thought in slight fear. 'But I have to admit that that was one hell of a night.'

He was snapped out of his thoughts when the other began waving his hand in front of him.

"Earth to Iruka. You had a glazed look in your eyes," Kakashi laughed, trying to imitate Iruka's look.

"I was just trying to decide if I wanted to be punished or not," the tanned man chuckled.

"Wow, you're worse than me."

"Worse than you?" Iruka exclaimed. "Compared to you, I look like Bambi!"

"That may be true, but compared to that one student in your class, you know, the shy one, you're like a super perv," Kakashi joked, poking the other in the cheek with his finger.

"Hey, what's with the poking?" Iruka giggled, grabbing the other's finger in mid-air. "Hinata? Anyone would look like a freak compared to her. She's just too innocent."

"Haha, I guess you're right. So will you go?" Kakashi solicited, pouting ever so slightly.

"The great Hatake Kakashi, pouting right before me," Iruka mused, beginning to lose the willpower he had to say no to the older man. "All right, I'll go, but you owe me big time mister," the school teacher said, letting out a sigh as he was once again defeated by his love's pout.

"You will? Great!" Kakashi exclaimed joyfully, pulling the younger into a spine crushing hug. "We're supposed to meet them in front of "le Comptoir" at five."

"Kakashi, I can't breathe."

"I'm so sorry!" Kakashi apologized, immediately releasing his hold on Iruka, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

Iruka glanced at the clock, immediately jumping off of the couch when he saw what time it was.

"Oh no! It's already four-thirty!" Iruka yelled, waving his arms in the air frantically. He tugged at the other's arm in a desperate attempt to pull him off of the couch. "We have to get ready right now and-wait. Why did you wait to tell me about this right before we had to leave?"

Kakashi slowly rose from the couch, laughing softly at his love's question.

"It's simple," he replied. "I knew you couldn't resist my charming good looks."

"You're a despicable man, you know that?"

"If that's dolphin for I love you, then you're despicable too."

Iruka giggled at his lover's absurdity, punching him lightly in the arm. Kakashi immediately grasped his arm a made a pained face.

"Ouch! That really hurt. I think I'm crippled now. Looks like you'll have to dress me," the elder joked.

"A black belt, not one or two, but a tenth degree black belt, who can take on all of his students and then some at once, can't take a small punch?" Iruka teased, feigning surprise. "I guess that means we won't be able to have some fun for a while."

The older man instantly froze, eyes wide in disbelief.

"You wouldn't seriously do that, would you?" the pale man asked in fear.

"Well I wouldn't want you to injure your arm any further. That would be cruel and selfish of me. Now let's get dressed," Iruka answered, walking past the other, a smirk plastered firmly on his face.

"You're good at this," Kakashi commented, trailing behind the tanned man as if he were a lost dog.

The two quickly dressed; each throwing on a pair of jeans and a casual shirt.

"It always amazes me how you manage to eat and drink with that mask on," Iruka stated, pulling his hair back into a ponytail, tying a black band around it.

"The key is in timing. I steal a bite and a sip here and there when other people are too distracted to even notice," the silver haired man confessed.

"Steal a bite here and there? You practically inhale your food in a blink of an eye. Man, we need to hurry. It's already four-fifty five," Iruka said, hastily pushing the other man out of their bedroom and towards the front door. "Bye, Sango. Make sure you behave!" he yelled, as he opened the front door.

The dog, still half asleep on her pillow, wagged her tail a few times, and promptly fell back into a deep sleep. The couple smiled and gently and closed the door behind them. After a few minutes of walking down the busy streets of Konaha, the two arrived at the bar. Genma and Raidou were standing right outside of the front entrance.

"Yo, Genma and Raidou," Kakashi greeted, walking up to the duo.

"Hey," Iruka said, giving a slight wave with his hand.

"You two are ten minutes late! I should fine you or something for making me wait and-" Genma began, but was interrupted when Raidou slapped him.

"What this idiot means to say is that we're glad we finally have the chance to catch up with you two," Raidou said, smiling brightly.

"Geez, did you have to hit me that hard?" Genma complained, rubbing the back of his head.

"Why don't we go inside and find a table," Raidou offered, completely ignoring the other's whining.

"There's an empty table over there," Genma informed, nodding his head in the direction of the table.

The four made their way towards the mentioned table, twisting and turning every which way to avoid the numerous dancers. The bar was particularly lively- packed wall to wall with customers who just wanted to drink and dance their sorrows away. The seats were arranged along the edges of the room, allowing ample space in the center for people to party. On the opposite side of the main entrance against a purple wall was the bar isle, where the bartender stood, performing awe inspiring tricks to entertain his viewers. The servers delivered their customers' requests on rollerblades, occasionally rocking back and forth to the music and the rhythmic flashing of the neon lights.

"Well this place sure is something," Iruka mumbled, but it got lost in the heavy beat of the current song.

The four friends took their seat at a table off to the far right corner, and before long, a young woman with short, choppy, black hair approached them.

"My name's Kagame. What can I get you guys?" She asked, pulling out a notepad from her uniform's pocket.

"We'll have four Pelforth's," Genma responded, smiling kindly at the woman.

"No problem, it'll be out in a flash," Kagame said, turning around and skating off into the dancing crowd.

"Hey, Kakashi, I think that chick had her eyes on you. She was staring at you the entire time," Genma teased, making kissy faces at the silver haired man.

"Shut it, Genma," Iruka seethed, glaring daggers at the laughing man.

"Oh come on Iruka, you know I'm just joking," Genma chuckled out, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Yea, well I hope you choke on your senbon," Iruka retorted, huffing in frustration.

"You know you're the only one for me, 'Ruru," Kakashi cooed, wrapping an arm around the tanned man's waist and placing a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"Get a room you two," Genma snickered.

"You should be one to talk," Raidou chided. "Weren't you the one who wanted to have "wild monkey sex" on our boss's desk? Tsunade would have fired us if she had found out!"

"You just got told by your boyfriend," Iruka said, snickering when Genma failed to make a rebuttal.

Iruka decided to rest his head on Kakashi's shoulder, closing his eyes as he listened to the song that was playing in the background.

"Here are your drinks," came a cheerful voice from out of the blue.

Iruka opened his eyes and looked at the girl, only to find her looking back at him. She glanced from him to Kakashi, and then back to him again. With an appalled look on her face, she grumbled an "enjoy," and left.

"Someone's on their rag," Iruka muttered, grabbing his glass and bringing it to his lips.

"Cheer up Iruka," Raidou said, swirling his drink around in his hand. "We came here to have fun, and that's just what we'll do, even if that means ignoring a few bitchy women."

The four laughed at Raidou's remark, and soon began conversing happily.

"So, have you two heard?" Genma inquired suddenly.

"Heard what?" Kakashi questioned, eying the man curiously.

"Well, with the current situation with the war. The Navy is going to begin recruiting all of its retired service members. That must suck for those people," Genma finished, looking down at the table.

Kakashi froze at what the brunet had just said, eyes growing wide and pale hands beginning to shake. Iruka noticed his love's sudden tensing, and looked up at him with a worried expression.

"Are you ok?" he queried, scanning the man up and down.

Kakashi blinked and averted his eyes down towards the tanned man, a small smile forming on his masked lips.

"Of course I am. I was just thinking about something," he answered, turning his attention back to Genma and Raidou. "That does sound horrible. I feel sorry for anyone who has to get called back into duty."

"Yea, that must be the worst feeling in the world," Iruka agreed, resuming his position once again; snuggled up against the older man's shoulder, a worried feeling still buried in the pit of his stomach.

Genma and Raidou exchanged a few glances, before they decided that it was time to leave.

"It's getting pretty late, we should probably head back," Raidou declared, rising from his seat.

The other three followed, leaving their money on the table for the waitress to collect. They made their way towards the front door, where they stood and said their good-byes.

"I hope we can do this again," Raidou said, hugging Iruka and Kakashi.

"Yea, that was fun," Iruka said, blushing as he admitted that.

'I can't believe I actually didn't want to go,' the school teacher chastised himself.

"Guess we'll see ya later," Genma yelled, waving good-bye as he pulled Raidou along with him.

"See ya!" Iruka and Kakashi shouted as they turned and began walking back towards their house.

The duo soon arrived home, remembering to open the door slowly, so not to wake up Sango. They tiptoed through the living room, laughing quietly when the dog began barking in her slumber. She proceeded to roll on her back, paws twitching furiously in the air.

"Someone's having a good dream," Kakashi mused, closing the door to their bedroom and flipping on the switch of the lamp on their nightstand.

"She's probably dreaming about chasing dogs, or playing with a bone or something," Iruka chuckled as he pulled his top over his head.

"I have a bone you could play with," the silver haired man sniggered, earning a glare and a shirt thrown in his face from the other.

"I swear, there's no off button on you," Iruka grumbled, taking off his jeans and pulling on a pair of black sweatpants.

"I can't help it when I'm around you," Kakashi defended, deciding to sleep in his green boxers. He crawled onto the bed, sprawling his limbs across the sheets in a lifeless manner. "You're my heroine."

The younger man chuckled as he crawled on top of his lover, nestling his head on the pale, chiseled chest beneath him. He inhaled the other's scent, fingers drawing lazy patterns across the taut flesh.

'What is that? Spice? It smells so musky and addictive…' Iruka pondered, letting his mind drift off, but it was soon brought back to the incident at the bar. 'I wonder what that whole thing at the bar was about. He looked like he had just seen a ghost.'

"Hey Kashi?" Iruka questioned, eyeing the man curiously.

"Hm?" the elder responded, shifting his gaze down towards the other.

"I was kind of curious about back at the bar, when you tensed up. You looked like you saw something horrible."

Kakashi's breath hitched slightly and he gulped loudly, hands beginning to shake again.

"Kakashi, you're shaking again. What's wrong?"

"When Genma mentioned the Navy situation, it brought back memories of my old friends. My feelings got the better of me. I'm sorry if I scared you." Kakashi apologized, bringing an arm around Iruka's waist and resting it on his back.

"I'm sorry," Iruka said meekly, burying his face in the broad chest, guilt washing over him.

"Come on, 'Ruru," Kakashi began, rubbing soothing circles on the bronzed back. "Do we really need to have this argument again? You and I both know that it wasn't your fault."

"I know," Iruka mumbled into the warm flesh. "I just feel so depressed when you're feeling down."

Kakashi smiled softly at the remark, moving his hand to play with his lover's hair.

"How do you think I feel when you're sad?"

Iruka lifted his head from the toned chest and looked the other in the eyes, before offering a small grin.

"All right, Kashi. I'll cheer up."

"Good."

Iruka slowly crawled up the other's torso and stopped when he was face to face with the silver haired man. He leaned in and pressed his lips tenderly against thin ones in a soft and loving kiss. He pulled away and gazed into mismatched eyes once more before lowering his head back onto the chest.

"Good-night Kashi," Iruka yawned, closing his eyes.

"Night 'Ruru, sweet dreams," Kakashi said, reaching over to turn the lamp off, before pulling his love closer against his body.

(break)

Gasp! Is Kakashi holding a secret? Oh noes! Well thank you for reading and please leave a review :D


	7. The Bad News

Wolf here! Boy, school is kicking my butt I have to balance work, writing and exercise T.T And I only get 4 hours of sleep a night. Haha oh well. Hope you enjoy!

ou8smileydeath: *Goes back to check spelling and starts laughing* Woah! How did that get past me? Lol thanks XP And that joke made my day

Ryu Earth: Lol, yea I wanted to try having a serious plot for once, although there's still a good amount of humor in here haha. And no prob :D

(break)

"All right class, who can tell me what the parent function of an exponential graph is?" Iruka asked, grabbing a piece of chalk and scribbling a picture of the graph on the board.

He turned around from his drawing and was met with a series of blank stares from his students.

"Anyone? Come on, it's not as hard as it sounds. Just remember that trick I taught you about remembering the different types of graphs," the teacher encouraged.

A timid porcelain hand rose from amidst the class.

"Yes, Hinata?" Iruka called out.

"I-Is it y equals x squared?" the quiet voice asked.

"Why yes it is! Great job!" the tanned man congratulated, turning back towards the chalk board to scribble more drawings.

"Thanks Hinata," a young, blonde girl said, patting the shy girl on the back.

"N-no problem I-Ino," Hinata replied, a rosy blush presenting itself on her face.

_Ding. Ding. Ding. _The school bells sounded, signaling that it was time for lunch. The children happily packed away their supplies and began to head to the door.

"Bye Iruka sensei!" they all roared in unison.

"Bye guys, see you tomorrow! Oh, and Naruto?" Iruka questioned, sifting through a few stacks of paper on his desk.

"Yea sensei?" the blonde answered, Sasuke by his side.

"Are we still on for ramen this weekend?"

"Of course! Believe it!" Naruto yelled, bouncing up and down on the tips of his toes.

"Ok, ok, see you later then," Iruka said as the two students began walking away.

"See ya!" Naruto shouted, blushing when Sasuke placed his hand on his rear. "Sasuke," Naruto chastised, "I told you to wait until we got home, teme."

"I can't help it if you have a nice ass," the raven haired male countered as he smirked, opting to place his arm around the other's waist as they exited the classroom.

"Did I really need to see and hear that?" Iruka asked himself, pulling out a small, red lunch box from his pack, turning on the T.V. "At least I can relax and watch some news with my lunch," Iruka sighed, pulling out an apple and a thermos full of miso ramen from the box. He seated himself in the chair, kicking his feet up onto the desk as he took a big bite out of the apple. "Let's see, what channel, what channel. Ah, got it."

A woman of about thirty, with emerald green hair and lime green eyes, immediately appeared on the screen.

"Good afternoon. We have just received news that the Navy is now beginning to send requests to those that they deem valuable enough to partake in the war, both retired and new. We have an official list for Konaha of the names of those who will be called into duty," the woman stated, reaching for a pile of papers on her desk.

"Huh, I wonder which sorry souls have to join that hell-hole," Iruka mumbled, turning up the volume of the T.V. while sipping from the thermos.

"Ok," the reporter began. "Before we read the list, we would just like to thank all of those on the list for fighting for our village and country. The following names are: Aizawa Yoshi, Duskune Suki, En-"

"What? You've got to be kidding. The T.V. went out again?" Iruka asked in frustration, head falling back against the chair. "And does the school offer to buy a better one? No. They leave it here, saying that it's only twenty years old. Piece of shit is what it is." Iruka glanced at the clock that was situated above the classroom entrance. "Hmmm… twenty minutes left and nothing to do."

He decided to tidy his room in the spare time. Moving to and fro, he managed to put misplaced books back into their original resting places, file away various worksheets, and toss out useless materials. Before he knew it, the bell chimed and a barrel load of new, eager faces flooded into his room.

"Good afternoon class," the tanned man beamed, forgetting all about the T.V.

"Good afternoon sensei," they all said, quickly taking their seats.

_Ding. Ding. Ding._ The children hurriedly left the room, eager to return home to their families.

"Ah, I finally get to go home and see Kakashi," Iruka said, humming softly.

"Um Iruka sensei?" came a low voice.

"Yes?" Iruka answered, looking at the door to see who was calling him. "Oh, Izumo, it's you. Is there something you need?"

Izumo shuffled into the classroom slowly, looking anywhere but at Iruka.

"Yea, well no. What I mean is that I heard something today, and I'm not sure if you know about it," Izumo mumbled, chancing a glance at the other man.

"I'm not sure I follow. Is it something bad?"

"Well, depending on the circumstances and the outcome, yes."

"Hmmm, I still don't have a clue. What is it?"

"Ok, I just want to apologize ahead of time, but I heard that-"

"Hey, Izumo!" a voice called, interrupting the brown haired man.

"Huh?" Izumo asked, turning around to face the door. "Kotetsu?"

"Yep, the one and only," Kotetsu said, waltzing into the room, grabbing Izumo by his hand. "If I remember correctly, we have a date today, more specifically, right now."

"Wait! I have to-" Izumo started, but stopped when Kotetsu began dragging him out of the classroom. "Kotetsu!"

"Ah, ah, ah," the black haired man chided, "I'll have none of that."

Izumo sent Iruka a pleading look that was begging for the tanned man to save him, but before Iruka could even think of responding, the captured man was out of his sight.

"I wonder how Izumo manages to deal with that guy," Iruka laughed, swinging his pack over his shoulder. "Now that I think about it, Kotetsu is kind of like Kakashi… in a weird and immature way."

The teacher checked one last time to make sure that he had everything with him, and walked out the door.

'I wonder what he had to tell me, though,' Iruka pondered as he walked down the silent hallway. 'He seemed pretty upset about it, and why did he need to apologize?' Iruka soon found himself outside of the school, stopping when his foot landed on a patch of soft, downy grass. 'When did I get out here? I guess I was thinking about that whole situation too much. I need to stop doing that.' The young man walked pass the school gates and onto the crowded streets, a happy smile on his face. 'Home sweet home, here I come.'

"Iruka sensei!" a young, feminine voice beckoned out to him.

He stopped in the middle of his tracks, only to turn around and come face to face with Tenten.

"Ah, hello there, Tenten, what can I do for you?" the teacher asked happily.

"Um well, how about we go into this store first so I can tell you, you know, so we're not in other people's way," the young girl offered, pointing towards a small, family owned shop besides them.

Iruka nodded in agreement, following the girl into the store. It was a homey shop with an assortment of herbs, spices and teas lined along wooden shelves. The shopkeeper, and old lady of about sixty, greeted them with a warm smile, and returned to filing away miscellaneous items.

"Much better," Tenten said as she turned to face the other. "Ok sensei, I'm so sorry about this but you know the Navy thing right?"

"Yea, of course. It was on the news earlier. What about it?"

The girl looked down at the floor, shuffling her feet slightly, hands entwined behind her back.

"Sensei, what do you know about it?" she suddenly asked, eyes still glued to the floor.

"What do I know?" he repeated like a parrot. "Well, I know that there is an official list of names for those who have been chosen to serve, and that it has to be the worst feeling in the world."

"Oh, so you don't know," Tenten whispered to herself. _Ring. Ring. Ring._ "Huh?" The girl reached into her pocket and pulled out a slim, pink phone. She opened it and placed it to her ear. "What? In the hospital? Oh no, I'll be right over. Thanks Lee, bye. I'm sorry sensei, Neji managed to injure himself while lifting weights, and he's in the hospital, unconscious. I'm so sorry for leaving at such short notice."

"Oh no, it's quite alright. I understand completely. Besides, it'll be good that his love will soon be there by his side," Iruka stated, giving the girl a wink, causing her to blush.

"Thanks Iruka sensei, bye!" she yelled, running out the store.

Iruka smiled softly and mumbled something about young love as he exited the store and continued walking once again.

'That was the second weirdest encounter I had for the day," Iruka said, side-stepping passing citizens.

'What is it that they wanted to tell me, and why did they look so troubled about it? None of this makes any sense,' he thought. 'I shouldn't be thinking about this too much. I might walk right off of a cliff if I don't focus on where I'm going.'

"Almost there," Iruka announced happily as he turned a familiar street corner.

The street was less condensed than the one he just came off of, as it was a lonely side path from the main road. The young man quickened his pace, more eager than ever to return home, but was stopped when he ran into Naruto.

"Oi, Iruka sensei, that hurt," Naruto whined, rubbing his nose from the sudden impact.

"Sorry Naruto, I got lost in thought," Iruka apologized, patting the boy on the head.

"Haha, you sound just like Kakashi sensei with that excuse," Naruto giggled as Iruka blushed slightly. "Oh, have you heard the news?" he asked, suddenly becoming serious.

"What news?" Iruka queried, staring down at the boy, who suddenly took interest in the ground.

"I think we should go to your house first, sensei," Naruto said softly.

Iruka nodded his head and the two slowly made their way inside the house. Iruka hastily sat Naruto down on the living room couch, and made some tea. Once he was seated, he nodded to Naruto, signaling that he was ready to hear whatever was on the other's mind.

'He honestly has no idea about this,' Naruto thought, taking a sip from his tea. 'I don't want to be the one to break it to him.'

"Nice house!" the blonde exclaimed in an attempt to distract Iruka from the current situation.

"Thanks, Naruto," Iruka said, placing his cup down onto the small, mahogany table. He looked around the room and gave a small grin. "It took a tad bit of work, but now it feels homey. I think the thing that brought this house together is Sango," the tanned man laughed, pointing towards the sleeping dog. "In fact, I think all she ever does is sleep."

"Haha, she is pretty adorable," Naruto admitted, smiling fondly at the bundle of fur.

"Yea," the teacher agreed, joining Naruto's gaze. "So what did you want to tell me?" he asked, turning his head back towards Naruto.

"Huh?" the blonde asked. His smile immediately transformed into a morose smile, as he picked up his cup again. "It's about the war."

"What about it?" the other asked, a sinking feeling forming in the pit of his stomach.

"Have you heard the list of names that were called to join the Navy?"

"Don't tell me that you or Sasuke have to go!" Iruka yelled, face paling.

"No, sensei, we're safe."

"Good. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you two," Iruka replied, chuckling quietly.

Naruto inhaled a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Kakashi sensei's name was called. He's joining the war… he's going to fight in the Navy."

There was a moment of silence before Naruto heard a crash. He opened his eyes and looked down at the table. There lay Iruka's cup, shattered into miniscule pieces; tea dripping down onto the carpet.

(break)

Le gasp! I hope everything turns out ok. Anyways, please review! :D


	8. The Letter

Yo, Wolf here. So this chapter is like a major turning point for the story, and now is where the good part truly begins :3 Enjoy!

CrazyShikamaruFan: I' always make sure I update at least once a week. I owe it to loyal fans like you!

OrlandosLover2009: The waiting has ended! Now this story is going to become more and more twisted by the chapter. Yay for drama lolz

Ryu Earth: Lol, I don't think I could be that mean to Iuka :P

(break)

"Fifty push-ups!" Kakashi yelled towards his class, earning an exasperated sigh in return. "It's only fifty. I can do that in my sleep."

"Yea, but not everyone's a muscular killing machine like you, sensei," Kiba complained, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm.

"And this is coming from the boy that always claims he can do better than me? Less talking and more exercising," the karate teacher commanded, clapping his hands to confirm his orders. "And just a little tip, flattery gets you nowhere."

Everyone hastily dropped to the floor and began their routine.

"I can't hear you counting," Kakashi drawled out, taking a seat on the floor in front of them.

"One-two-three," the class began with a groan, faces contoured into pained expressions. "Forty-nine, fifty."

"Good job today. Class dismissed," the pale man announced happily, waving farewell to his students.

"Bye, sensei," they all said, limping out of the dojo.

"Finally, I get to see my 'Ruru. He should be home by now," Kakashi said to himself, locking up the dojo; not bothering to change out of his uniform.

He casually walked down the paved streets of the village, turning left and right, greeting others along the way. After what seemed like a millennium, he arrived at his house.

'Now to see my sweet dolphin,' he thought in anticipation, unlocking the door and pushing it open.

"Iruka, I'm-Iruka? Iruka! What's wrong?" Kakashi asked in a panicked state, running over to the man who was currently sitting on the living room sofa sobbing uncontrollably.

The other man merely wept louder, before slowly raising his head from his tear stained palms. His eyes were a blood red, and his usually neat ponytail was in disarray.

"Ka-Kakashi," he said between sobs, "N-Naruto told me th-that you were called into the N-Navy."

The elder froze, eyes growing wide with fear as the words registered in his mind.

'Damnit,' he thought, eyes not leaving his love's pained expression. 'Does he know? Shit. What do I say?'

"I'm so sorry y-y-you got ch-chosen to do this," the distressed man cried out.

"Chosen?" the other repeated, arms reaching out to encircle themselves around the tanned man in an attempt to comfort him as he took a seat beside him. "It's ok. Just take a few deep breaths and tell me the story."

Iruka did as he was told, taking in much needed air. His breathing soon evened out, and his hiccupping reduced drastically.

"I ran into Naruto and he said that your name was called to join the N-Navy. I'm so sorry that you have to go through this. Oh God, I don't know how to react to this. What will I do without y-you? What if something happens?"

"Ruka baby, don't worry. We'll get through this. Just take some time to calm down, and then we'll talk, ok?" Kakashi asked, rocking the other back and forth gently.

Iruka nodded his head and buried his face into the muscular chest, shoulders shaking slightly.

'Shit, I can't believe I'm lying flat out in front of his face… but it's for his safety,' Kakashi reassured himself.

"I'm so sorry Kakashi," Iruka mumbled into the warm flesh. "I love you."

"I love you too baby. Just be strong for me."

After a few minutes of comforting, Iruka removed his face from the other's chest. Although a small smile graced his lips, his eyes still held sorrow, fear, and confusion.

"I forgot you haven't had anything to eat since you came home. Let me heat up some food for you," the tanned man said in a slightly shaky voice.

Without another word, the school teacher rose and padded off into the kitchen. Kakashi left the comfort of the sofa too, and made his way into the dining room, seating himself quickly.

'I just have to pretend I know nothing about the Navy… but it's so wrong. Lying. Nothing but a liar. No! It's for his safety. I need to protect him. He'll only hate me if I told him about my past; about my service in the- in there,' Kakashi thought, wincing as a headache began to from. 'Don't want him mad. Need him happy. Make him laugh.'

The pale man was snapped out of his thoughts when a hot plate of vegetable curry was placed in front of him. He glanced up at Iruka and saw that the other was smiling down at him.

"I hope you like it," Iruka said, seating himself across from Kakashi.

"Your food is always amazing, 'Ruru," Kakashi responded, which caused both males to laugh.

"I'm sorry about how I reacted. I just couldn't handle the impact," Iruka apologized, taking a bite from his food. "It's just not fair that out of all the people who could have been called, you were chosen. Why couldn't they have picked someone who was retired? At least they'd know more about what to do."

"I know," the silver haired man said in a calming voice. "It'll be over fast though. I doubt they'd put me somewhere dangerous, since I don't really know anything about ships and all that," he lied.

"Haha, yea. We need to be strong about this. Together."

"So do you know when I leave? Any details?"

"No, but the mail man is supposed to come by later and give you the official letter."

"Oh. Where's Sango?" Kakashi questioned, trying to change the subject.

"She's over at Naruto's. He really wanted to stay with her, although I have no idea how Sasuke will react to someone else stealing Naruto's attention," the school teacher laughed out.

"That's why I'm afraid to spar with him. If I get one scratch on him, Sasuke might rip my dick off and shove it up my ass."

"Isn't that a pretty sight," the other teased. "I doubt he would go to that extreme."

"Have you seen the way he looks at that kid?"

"Actually, I'd rather not think about that," Iruka chuckled, as he thought of the incident back at the school. "Oh here, I'll get that," he offered, collecting the other's plate and carrying it into the kitchen.

Kakashi shuffled back into the living room, taking his place once again on the sofa.

'Just stay cool. Just calm down and try not to dwell on the subject,' he thought, trying to ease his nerves. 'This is for Iruka.'

Iruka soon joined him, cuddling closer against the older man. He sighed in content when the other wrapped an arm around him.

"I feel like I'm in some sappy drama movie or a romance story," Iruka commented, giggling softly.

"Haha, what would it be called?"

"Hmm, how about 'Desperate Househusbands'"

"What?"

"You know, since the regular show is about women and Army stuff? Well ours would be about men and the Navy."

"Wow 'Ruru, wow."

"Hey, it could be a hit. I mean, they have some really dumb reality shows on T.V., and half of them make no sense whatsoever."

"True, but who would watch? The gay community?"

"Yes," Iruka replied, "and all the women who like that kind of stuff."

The two chuckled at the absurdity of their conversation, each relishing the other's companionship. They sat in comfortable silence for a while, before the ringing of the doorbell broke their spell.

_Ding-dong._

"Must be the mail man. I'll get it," Iruka said, walking towards the door. "Oh, Naruto! Come in, come in."

"Thanks, sensei," Naruto said, sauntering into the living room and taking a seat in the chair opposite of Kakashi, Iruka joining them a second later.

"Yo, Naruto and Sango," Kakashi greeted, earning an energetic bark from the dog who was currently seated in the blonde's lap.

"Sorry to barge in like this," Naruto apologized sheepishly, "but Sasuke didn't really like how attached I became to Sango, and he spent the entire afternoon either glaring daggers at her or sulking."

Iruka shot a glance at Kakashi, with a small grin securely planted on his face, eyes saying 'I told you so.' The other male merely laughed at the other's gesture.

"Hey, what's so funny?" the young boy asked, eyes darting back and forth between the two in confusion.

"Oh, it's nothing. We just remembered a funny joke from earlier," Iruka replied, stifling back a few giggles. "Anyways, I completely understand, and you are by no means barging in. You are always welcomed here. You're family."

"Thanks, sensei. I was afraid of what Sasuke might do to poor Sango," the boy confessed, patting the small dog on the head, causing her to wag her tail furiously in delight. "He can be pretty, well pretty Sasuke, if you know what I mean."

"Oh trust me, I do. I was a victim of his famous glare before, back when we were sparring a while ago," Kakashi snickered out. "I believe he wanted to kill me."

"Ugh," Naruto exhaled, gingerly placing Sango onto the floor. "I told him not to be so possessive."

"Well at least you know he truly cares," Iruka said, watching as Sango pranced towards her pillow.

"Yea… Well thanks again sensei! See you tomorrow, and see you after school Kakashi sensei!" Naruto exclaimed, heading towards the door.

"Later," both males called out as the door closed.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen Naruto that calm before. It was like he was a whole new person," Iruka stated, resting his head against the other's chest once again.

"Maybe Sasuke is starting to rub off on him," Kakashi teased, stroking the teacher's silky locks.

"I hope not. Naruto's too innocent."

"Judging by that huge hickey on his neck, I wouldn't say the kid is that much of an angel."

"What?" Iruka yelled in disbelief, raising his head to look the other in the eyes. "A hickey?"

"It was as plain as the sun in the sky 'Ruru." Kakashi chuckled, as he pulled the tanned man back against him. "You could spot that thing from a mile away."

"Ok, ok, new subject. I'm starting to get mental images," Iruka pleaded, shivering at the thought of how Naruto might have obtained that mark.

Just as Kakashi was about to suggest something else, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get this one," the karate teacher said, making his way towards the door. With a soft click, he opened it and greeted the person. "Oh, hello. Mail? Thank you. Have a good afternoon."

"A letter? Is it…"

"Yea," the other responded, seating himself next to the anxious man, eyes glaring at the letter as a wave of uneasiness washed over his form.

"It's ok; we can handle it, right? We're stronger than that," Iruka coaxed the man, giving his hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

"Yea… stronger."

The silver haired male hesitantly tore the edge of the envelope and pulled out the folded document, his breaths coming out slower and slower.

"Breathe love, breathe," the tanned man reminded.

"Right, sorry,"

Pale hands slowly unfolded the important letter as mismatched eyes scanned over the paper quickly. A solemn expression soon presented itself on his face.

'Can't let Iruka see this,' he told himself.

"What does it say?" Iruka queried, looking up at him.

The older man closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, placing the document in his lap.

"I leave in a month, and I'm staying for two years. They're… they're placing me on a ship."

"What? A ship? Two years? Why?"

"Well they said they ran out of retired civilians to recruit who had naval knowledge, so they're going to train a few of us and send us out to sea," he lied, once again.

"But you'll be in the actual war! Out there, fighting! Oh no, no, no, what will I do? What will we do?" Iruka cried out, burying his face in his hands,

"Shh, 'Ruru, remember about us being strong?" the other reminded, pulling the younger closer to his body.

"Fuck being strong! This is ridiculous!"

"I know love, but I- I- oh God Iruka, even I can't be strong for you," Kakashi sobbed out, a few tears spilling down his face.

Both sat like that for what seemed like an eternity, completely ignoring the presence of the outside world. Time seemed to still as they sat there, embracing each other as if they were holding on for dear life. Tears cascaded down both of their faces like a waterfall, as their bodies shook from the racing, negative emotions within them. Fear, hurt, frustration- they were all present. No words were spoken; no sentimental sayings exchanged in hopes of bringing a smile to the other's face. It was pointless. There was only the sound of the occasional chocked out sob and the racing of their troubled hearts.

"I'm sorry," Iruka apologized, breaking the silence at last, although he had no idea what he was apologizing for.

"It's ok, everything will work out. I promise," Kakashi cooed in a soothing tone.

'I'm so sorry Iruka. I never wanted this to happen to you. Forgive me,' he thought in agony, as he lowered his head in shame.

(break)

Ok, Kakashi wouldn't be honest, because in the past, he promised Iruka he woud tell him everthing about him, even about his past. Well he kept the Navy part a secret, and he's scared that Iruka woud get upset and leave him if he tod him, just to clear things up.

Iruka in a romance story? Pft no way! Haha. And Kakashi, how could you? Well please review! And I'll throw in a nice little something in the next chapter :D


	9. The Love Filled Night

Yo wolf here! Ok, so not to confuse anyone else, the reason Kakashi refused to tell Iruka the truth about his past was because he previously promised the other that he would tell him everything, and that he would never lie to him. Well not telling him about the navy counts as a lie- and he's afraid that Iruka will get mad and leave him if he finds out.

On a second note, this is a continuation from the last chapter; no time skip in-between. Hope you enjoy :)

Bry: I'm so sorry, I hoped my explanation helped clear things up

Ryu Earth: Haha Kakashi is so naïve :) And you're welcome!

Kick-Aft: Yeah, I wasn't sure how to make this sound interesting, without giving the plot away haha

(break)

"Kakashi," Iruka whispered, looking up sorrowfully at the man, still trapped in his embrace.

Before the other could finish his sentence, Kakashi slid his mask down and leaned forward to kiss him fully on the lips. He slid his tongue gently along the bottom lip, silently asking for permission to enter. Iruka parted his lips slightly, and the pale man wedged his tongue inside- exploring the warm, wet cavern. The silver haired man pulled away, filling his body with oxygen, as he gazed into the tanned man's chocolate eyes. Blue and red eyes drifted lower towards soft, swollen lips, noticing how they seemed to add to the younger's beauty.

'He's so innocent and loving. I promised that I would never lie to him,' Kakashi thought, eyes scanning over the angelic face before him.

"Kakashi," Iruka began again, interrupting the other's thoughts. "I need you."

Kakashi felt his breath catch in his throat upon hearing those three simple words- heart beating noticeably faster.

'He's told me this before, but this time it's different.' Kakashi contemplated. 'The words were not uttered in a heat of passion; they're not dripping with lust. No. These are laced in pure love.'

He brought a pale hand up and rested it against his lover's tar-stained cheek, swiping his thumb back and forth across the surface.

"I need you to baby. More and more each day," Kakashi whispered, bowing his head so that his nosed touched the other's.

The tanned man gave a small smile; one that tugged on the strings of Kakashi's heart. Kakashi smiled in return, before closing the distance between them in another soft kiss. Pulling back, he began placing kisses along Iruka's cheek, trailing down towards his neck. He licked up the column slowly, relishing in the other's earthy taste, before biting down softly into the tender flesh. Iruka gasped out softly, tilting his head back to allow the man more access to the expanse of skin on his sensitive neck. Kakashi, taking the hint, kissed the bitten spot before shifting over to another, repeating the process once again. Once he felt that he had properly left his mark, he began leaving a light trail of kisses down towards Iruka's collar bone.

"Nng, Kakashi," Iruka panted out, fisting one hand into silver hair as his other tightened it's grip on the muscular back.

The pale man nibbled along the length of the bone, eliciting a series of mewls and whimpers from the other. He slid his hand south to grasp Iruka's hips, pulling the man lower beneath him so that he was lying completely on the couch.

"Kakashi," Iruka whined, lifting his hips up so that his pained erection brushed against the dominant male's rock hard stomach.

Kakashi slid his body down so that he was facing his love's need. He traced a lone finger along the outline of the straining member, causing the young man to whimper loudly. Not wanting to tease his love too much, he carefully unzipped the man's jeans, pulling it completely off, and hooked a finger behind the elastic band of the silk, red boxers.

"Please," Iruka breathed out, eyes shut as his body was overcome with need.

Not needing to hear any more, Kakashi slid the garment down, finally giving the other release from the confinement.

"Aah!" Iruka hissed out, as his burning flesh suddenly came into contact with the cold air.

Kakashi eyed the length carefully, noticing how the head would become more slick with pre-cum with each throb of a vein.

"Iruka," he breathed out contently, as he kissed the top of the blushing head, causing the other to arch his back into the teasing touches.

"More," the tanned man pleaded, balling his hands into fists by his side.

The silver haired man gave one slow lick up the arousal, before engulfing Iruka fully into his mouth. Iruka opened his mouth in a silent cry, hands fisting themselves into wild, silver hair, as his breaths became staggered. Kakashi gently sucked on the head, forming a vacuum with his mouth, as his hand reached up to grasp whatever skin was left unattended to. He began humming softly, sending delicious vibrations from Iruka's cock to the pits of his stomach. Moving his hand away, he began bobbing his head lower and lower, until he was deep-throating his love with every suck.

"Fuck, Kashi, I'm gonna…" Iruka moaned out; a fire building and coiling within his stomach as he felt his orgasm draw closer.

Kakashi took all of him inside his mouth and sucked tightly around the now throbbing cock, using his hand to hold down the other's hips so to prevent him from bucking.

"Kakashi!" Iruka cried out, releasing his seed within the pale man's mouth as his body shook from sheer pleasure.

Kakashi greedily swallowed all of the cum, keeping his lips firmly wrapped around the member as Iruka rode out his orgasm. Once Iruka's body stopped shaking, he released the cock with a soft pop, licking his lips so to waste any of the precious cum.

"What… about you?" Iruka asked when he felt his love's hard-on brush against his thigh, mind still hazy from pleasure.

"No, baby," Kakashi purred out as lovingly, "this is about you."

"Not… selfish," Iruka breathed out, slowly sitting up and looking the other in the eyes. "It's also about you."

Kakashi instantly felt a wave of guilt wash over him, but he pushed it aside as he gave his love a warm smile.

"You're so good to me," Kakashi whispered.

"I should be the one saying that," Iruka said, as he pushed the other back into a sitting position on the couch, leaning down so that he was facing the straining need. He unbuttoned the zipper and pulled out his love's aching arousal, running his thumb over the tip to wipe away any pre-existing cum. In one swoop, he engulfed the man- a light, rosy blush spreading across his face. He eyed the other through his eyelashes, and saw that Kakashi was gazing down at him in deep fascination, eyes half lidded- mouth parted and pale cheeks becoming a light pink.

"Gods 'Ruru, you're so amazing," Kakashi moaned out, unraveling Iruka's hair tie so that he could run his fingers through chocolate locks.

Iruka merely hummed in appreciation, soft lips working up and down the other male. He released the man and eyed the blushing tip with pure awe, as if he were a child eyeing a piece of candy. He leaned in closer and licked from the base to the tip as if the cock were a lollipop, savoring the sweet, yet salty cum that dripped out as he did so.

"Mmm, "Ruru, I'm gonna cum if you keep that up," Kakashi groaned out, biting his bottom lip.

Iruka released him reluctantly, kissing the head before looking back up at Kakashi.

"I really wanted to taste you," the tanned man purred seductively, giving a small pout.

Kakashi growled lowly, cock throbbing with each word spoken.

"I want to be inside you when I cum," the pale man moaned out, as the younger crawled on top of him.

"Why don't I help you with that?" Iruka offered, rubbing his now hardening self against the other.

"Need… lube," Kakashi said between pants as his cock was being tortured.

"Don't worry about that," Iruka responded, leaning over to reach into an empty bowl on the coffee table, hand returning covered in a slippery, sweet-smelling, white substance.

"What is that?" Kakashi asked, eyeing the white goo.

"Well I was eating strawberries and whipped cream to help calm myself and- that's not important. What is important is that I take care of your little problem."

He reached down and slicked the silver haired male's cock with the sweet cream, licking his fingers clean once he thought the other was thoroughly coated, glancing coyly at his love as he did so.

"That has to be the sexiest thing I have ever seen," Kakashi said, bucking his hips up so that the slid across the tanned man's crack.

"Hmm, well prepare for something even sexier," Iruka cooed out positioning himself above the member.

He slowly eased himself down, eyes fluttering shut as he did so. Kakashi grabbed his hips, helping to guide him down, as his eyes grazed over his lover's expression hungrily. Once Iruka was fully sheathed, he opened his eyes and gave and experimental roll with his hips, gasping at the sensation it caused deep within him.

"Fuck," Kakashi grunted, grinding his hips against the other in an attempt to bury himself further into the tight heat.

Iruka grabbed hold of the other's wrists and began rocking back and forth at a slow and torturous pace, mewling every time the other's cock went deeper inside of him.

"Faster, 'Ruka" Kakashi whined, eyes closed tightly in a desperate effort to control his need; sweat forming at his forehead.

"Want this- last," Iruka moaned out incoherently; mind lost in the numerous sensations he was feeling.

Kakashi freed his right wrist, placing his arm around Iruka's back, bringing the younger closer to his body so that he could bury his face in his love's neck.

After a few more slow and shallow thrusts, Iruka began to speed up his pace.

"Fuck, yes," Kakashi grunted out, moving his head away from the soft, heated flesh to gaze at the other's expression when Iruka wrapped his arms around his neck.

"Ah!" the younger gasped as Kakashi began snapping his hips up to meet Iruka's thrusts.

The air was soon heavy with passion, adoration, and the scent of sex. Skin slapped against skin, as moans, mewls, curses, and sweet nothings echoed throughout the house.

"Mmm, Kashi, so good," Iruka whimpered as the other's thrusts became faster, causing the tanned man to bounce up and down with each movement.

'Gotta find it,' Kakashi thought, as he angled his thrusts carefully, aiming for the spot that would make his lover see stars.

"Shit! There! Ah! Again!" Iruka cried out, tossing his head back in sheer ecstasy.

'Found it,' the silver haired man thought happily, hands tightening their grip on the other's hips as he increased his pace ten fold.

"So close," Iruka panted out, feeling another fire begin to pool within the depths of his stomach, this one more intense than the last.

"Me too," Kakashi grunted, beginning to lose his rhythm as he felt his own orgasm begin to form.

He reached a pale hand in between them and began stroking the other man, using the pre-cum that shot out as lube.

"Ah, Kashi, I'm-"

Kakashi began pumping even faster when he felt the other clamp around him.

"Kakashi!" Iruka screamed, shooting his seed onto the toned chest; muscles tightening into a death grip around the other's cock.

With a few more thrusts, the silver haired man came, grunting out his love's name as he dug his nails into tanned hips, leaving deep, red marks behind. Iruka collapsed onto the man below, chest rising and falling rapidly, eyes lidded in content.

"Don't… pull out," the young man mumbled. "Feel good."

Kakashi smiled and wrapped his arms around Iruka's back, cradling the man against his chest.

"I love you Iruka, and I always will. Don't forget that."

"I love you too. Now and forever."

"Bark!"

The two turned their attention towards the source of the noise and blushed in embarrassment when they realized that Sango had witnessed their entire romp.

(break)

Silly Sango, sex is for big kids! Lol.

You know what sucks? When your mom gets bored and decides to hack into your computer, only to find this. I swear I don't know how she got through all of my security systems. It was never ending questions when she saw this… ugh.

Anyways, please review :D And P.S., the next chappy is an important one!


	10. The Promise

Hey there, wolf here. This chap is pretty important :D That's all I'm going to say so enjoy!

Ryu Earth: I really wanted them to have a big moment hehe and it's cool, it's gotten less awkward now lol

XxSesshomaruandRinxX: Thanks you :3

(break)

"Good morning Iruka," Kakashi greeted, sauntering into the kitchen; taking in the delicious aroma of homemade pancakes.

"Is it really?" Iruka mumbled under his breath, flipping the flat cake gracefully in the air and catching it in the pan.

"Iruka," Kakashi warned, taking a seat at the dining table, eyeing the tanned man warily.

"Oh, you heard that?" Iruka asked, placing a hot plate of pancakes in front of the silver haired man. "Sorry," he apologized, sitting down with his own set of food.

"You don't have to apologize, love. Just try and think positive, alright? For me?"

"For you," Iruka chuckled out, pushing a spoonful of food into his mouth. "So how do you want to spend your last d- today?"

"I thought we could go to the movies, or maybe to the park. It doesn't really matter. I just want to spend as much time as I can with you before I depart."

The two ate the rest of their breakfast in silence, each one not knowing what to say to the other. Iruka collected the dirty dishes and washed them, as Kakashi showered and got dressed. Iruka followed suit once he was done and soon the two were ready to leave.

"Why don't we take Sango?" Kakashi offered, glancing down at the dog that was standing at the front door, wagging her tail eagerly.

"Haha, ok," Iruka said, walking towards a nearby closet and returning with a red leash.

He attached it to Sango's collar and wrapped the other end around his hand.

"All set?" the pale man asked.

"Yep," Iruka replied with a bright smile.

The silver haired man opened the front door and laughed as Sango began dragging the other outside.

"She's strong for a small dog," Iruka stated, trying to calm the dog down. "I guess that's what to expect when her owner is a Karate master."

"Oh haha," Kakashi replied sarcastically, picking up his pace so that he was walking side by side with Iruka. "You're one to talk, Mr. 'I'm gonna punch you in the gut and give you a nasty bruise.'"

"Oh come on, you had it coming! You were the one who decided to jump out from behind the couch and scare me. I was just defending myself," the younger sniggered out.

"That's why you stared at me for ten seconds before punching me?"

"Delayed reaction."

"Only you, 'Ruru, only you. By the way, where are we going anyways?"

"Huh?" Iruka asked, looking around at the scenery. "Well there's Swan Lake… and that's Ichiba's Tea Shop, so we must be heading towards Oak Park. I guess Sango's been secretly leading us there while we were talking."

"Smart dog," Kakashi laughed.

"She must have my brains," Iruka giggled out, turning a street corner and entering the park.

"More like coyness," Kakashi countered, earning him a punch to the arm.

"Hey, that looks like a good spot to relax," Iruka said, pointing to a nearby bench surrounded by white rosebushes.

The duo strolled towards the bench and took a seat, Iruka undoing the lock on Sango's leash. The small dog immediately spotted an orange and black butterfly flying above her. She gave a short jump, jaws open in an attempt to catch it, but missed and fell face first into the earth below instead. Getting up and looking at the insect once again, the dog threw herself onto the ground near Kakashi's feet and hastily fell asleep.

"That must be the cutest I have ever seen," Iruka said, biting back a giggle.

"So you don't think I'm adorable?" Kakashi questioned in a hurt tone, turning towards the other with a small pout hidden by his mask.

"I don't think the word adorable suits you. That's like calling the hulk adorable."

"But I'm not green and I don't speak in third person."

"Yea, but you're strong Kashi. Besides, you're, er, dominant," Iruka said, muttering the last part under his breath.

"Kakashi mad, Kakashi smash," the elder teased, banging lightly against his chest with his fists.

"Haha, King Kong bangs against his chest, oh smart one."

"Oh... well so do I."

"Well I personally think that handsome, sexy, funny, strong, caring, protective, and stupid would best describe you. Not adorable. Maybe your pouts are, but that's it. Wait, forget I said that last part; you might use it against me."

"Don't worry dear, I'll only dream of blackmailing you," Kakashi comforted, resulting in another punch from the other man.

"You know, I'll miss this. I'll miss our conversations, our time together- everything."

"I know baby, I will too, but I won't be gone forever," Kakashi whispered, pulling the other against his chest in a soothing hug.

Kakashi and Iruka stayed in that position for a while, watching as people casually walked by, some doing their routinely jog through the park while others were on romantic dates. The rose bushes around them swayed gently in the breeze, surrounding them with their sweet aroma, as the sun shone brightly above them in the clear, blue sky.

"Kakashi?" Iruka whispered softly.

"Yea?" the pale man replied, resting his head atop the others, closing his eyes.

"Promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"Promise me you'll stay safe. Don't try to be a big hero or something. I just want you back in one piece."

"Don't worry, 'Ruru, I won't get hurt."

"Promise me."

"I promise."

'Thank-you."

The two sat in silence once again, until Kakashi decided to break it.

"It's getting late, we should head back."

"Ok," Iruka said, breaking away from the warm body.

He attached the leash onto Sango's collar and stood up, stretching his cramped muscles as he did so. The small dog rolled onto her paws and happily barked, eager to start traveling.

"I have no idea where you get that energy from," Kakashi told the dog, who perked her ears and cocked her head to the side in response.

"Must be you," Iruka answered, grinning at the other. "I swear you have no off button, do you?"

"Off button? With what?" Kakashi asked, dumfounded.

Iruka glared at him, chocolate orbs burning deep holes within the other's flesh.

"Oh! That!" Kakashi exclaimed, standing up. "Well can you blame me?"

"Haha, I wasn't blaming you or anything. I was just saying that, well, if you could, you'd go all day long. It's like you get hornier and hornier by the second."

"What can I say? I'm like a rubrics cube. The more you play with me, the harder I get."

Iruka held back a small sob as realization hit him fully in the face- feeling like he had just went head first against a speeding train.

'I really don't know how long I can go without him,' the tanned man thought in distress.

"Hey, you ok?" Kakashi asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Yea," Iruka replied quickly.

"Good," Kakashi said with a smile. "Let's head back."

The two made their way back home, enjoying the warm summer day as they did so. They soon arrived home, unlocking the front door and releasing Sango so that she could find a comfortable corner to sleep in.

"I can't believe the time has come," Iruka said, looking down at the ground.

"I know, but please stay brave for me."

Iruka nodded. Kakashi grasped his hand and led him out the front door once more.

"They're picking us up at the harbor," Kakashi stated, hand still entwined with the others, as he walked down the streets. "A ship will be there to gather us."

Iruka said nothing in response. The sun began to set as the two trekked towards the harbor, Iruka trailing behind Kakashi like an injured animal. The harbor soon came into sight; hundreds of people lined along the coast. A large, steel ship was anchored near the shore, a metal ramp protruding from its center. Iruka glanced at the crowd and recognized numerous, familiar faces. Asuma, Anko, Genma, Tsunade, Naruto- they were all here. Each approached the couple, offering their condolences and sharing in their sorrow- retreating back into the mass to say their goodbyes to others once they finished. A large horn sounded from the pinnacle of the ship, and an old man's voice sounded above the bustling noise of the crowd.

"May I have your attention please?" the elderly man began. "Thank you. The recruited have ten minutes before they must board the ship. Ten minutes. That is all."

Iruka gulped as a tear escaped his eye.

"Iruka," Kakashi called out, bringing the other back to reality. "I know this isn't lavishly planned or anything, but please hear me out." The pale man dropped to one knee in front of the now surprised man, grasping a shaking hand with his left hand and reaching into his pocket with his right. He took out a tiny, black box and opened it, taking out a small, golden ring with the initials 'I.U.' and 'K.H.' carved into its smooth surface. He gazed up at the young man with a loving smile. "This is not how I wanted this to happen, but I'm hoping this will give you some sort of hope. Iruka Umino, you are the light of my life. When I'm with you, nothing else matters. You are my pride and joy; my air and my sunshine. You make me the happiest man on Earth, just by seeing your beautiful smile. I want to spend the rest of my like with you, so Iruka, will you marry me?"

"I-I," Iruka stuttered, before breaking down completely. "Yes, yes! Of course I'll marry you!" He exclaimed, tears streaming down his face from both joy and sorrow.

Kakashi slid the ring on Iruka's finger and a tiny roar of applause erupted from the people nearby, congratulating the two on their newfound happiness.

"One minute," the elderly man's voice called out. "One minute."

The clapping soon died down.

"Kakashi, I love you. I love you so much," Iruka wept out.

"I love you too, 'Ruru," the silver haired man said, pulling the younger into ne last embrace.

A final horn sounded, signaling that it was time for the drafted to leave.

"Stay strong," Kakashi reminded, giving Iruka one final kiss goodbye.

Kakashi broke away, wand with a wave, began walking towards the ramp. Iruka ran over to the coastline, standing by Anko and Kurenai- the two wrapping and arm around the saddened man in an attempt to ease his nerves, as they watched the pale man board the ship. When the last person had entered, the ramp retreated within the depths of the metal monster, and the anchor was reeled in. The ship slowly began drifting off into the horizon, occasionally sounding its horn until it was too far away to be heard. Iruka stood there like a zombie, hand clutched to his chest as he stared off at the sparkling, sapphire ocean.

"He'll be back before you know it," Anko whispered, leaning her head against Iruka's shoulder.

"Yea, he's a tough soul. He'll push through fighting all the way," Kurenai agreed. "Besides, we'll be right here for you. All of us."

Iruka continued to stare at the ocean, frozen in time, until a tear strayed down his face, followed by another, and then another.

'I love you,' he thought, slowly shutting his eyes. 'Come back safe.'

(break)

Gasp! Kakashi proposed! Awe, what can happen next? It's going to be butterflies and sunshine right? Wrong! Lol, anyways, please review. :)


	11. The First Day

Yo peoples, wolf here. Well here's a little filler chapter, just to make the story flow nice and smooth :) And ryuearth, ou8smileydeath and crazyshikamarufan, I hope you're still reading haha :)

XxSesshomaruandRinxX: Thanks for reviewing! The chappy is here, but I can't promise all happiness and rainbows for Kakashi haha :D

(break)

_Ring, ring, ring,_ sounded the alarm in Kakashi's cabin, effectively waking him and the other occupants.

"Ugh," the silver haired man groaned, throwing the drab sheets off his body. "Whoopee, I get to go through this crap again. Public restroom, here I come." He got out of bed, not bothering to make it, and waltzed off towards the restroom and showering facilities, a clean change of clothing in hand. Once he was done showering, he slipped on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, his mask, and an old pair of sneakers, heading off to the cafeteria for some breakfast. "Three more days on this ship and we finally land. Then we get our uniforms... yay," he muttered, grabbing a clean tray and joining the back of the line.

"What can I get for you?" the young woman behind the counter asked, when it was his turn to order.

"I guess I'll have some scrambled eggs and toast," Kakashi answered.

"No problem, coming right up," the girl announced with a cheery smile, quickly plating the food. "Here you go!"

"Thanks," Kakashi said with a small smile, as he picked up his tray and headed towards a vacant table.

'Two years, two years,' he thought, biting into a piece of toast.

"Kakashi?" a voice suddenly called out. "Long time no see!"

"Huh?" Kakashi said, looking up from his meal. "Well if it isn't Denji. Pull up a chair. Didn't think I'd see you again out here."

The man took a seat across from the pale man, a small grin on his face and an enthusiastic aura around him.

"I see you haven't changed at all. You still have that mess of a thing you call hair, and you still wear a mask," Denji chuckled out, bringing a spoonful of oatmeal to his mouth.

"And you still have that scar on your cheek, girly, green hair, and look, you still eat oatmeal," Kakashi snickered.

"Hey it's not girly. Long hair is masculine, and besides, oatmeal is delicious and healthy!"

"Haha your locks reach your ass, and you're still a health nut."

"Yea, well, you're still a jerk."

Both men began laughing.

"It's really good to see you Denji."

"Yea, same here. Now the ride back will actually be interesting," the green haired man laughed out.

"Ditto," Kakashi agreed, feeling a wave of relief was over him from the thought of having an old companion with him once again.

"So ho does it feel to be back in uniform?" Denji queried, eyeing the other curiously.

"Technically, we don't get our uniform for three days, genius, and speaking of that, won't they make you cut your hair?"

"Remember the last time they tried that?"

"Oh yea! How could have forgotten? I swear I've never seen the captain so scared in my life. The look on his face was just priceless."

"Haha, so I doubt they'll try anything again, unless they want to face my wrath."

"You sound just like Iruka," Kakashi stated, smiling solemnly.

"Iruka?"

"Oh yea, he's the most amazing person I've met. We started dating around two years ago, and I proposed just before I left."

"Really? I'm, so happy for you, congrats!" Denji congratulated, eyes beaming with delight, causing the other to laugh at his child like nature.

"Thanks Denji, but what about you? Anything special happened- any secret love life?"

"Secret love life? Pease, as if my life could be that interesting. All i did was right novels and well that's it."

"Awe, I'm sorry, I'm positive you'll find someone," Kakashi soothed. "And writing sounds, um, fun?"

"You're a horrible liar, you know that?" Denji chastised, finishing his bowl of oatmeal.

"And you're still as feminine as eve-ouch! Why'd you kick me?"

"My foot slipped."

"Slipped my as- ouch! You know I'm only teasing, De-de. Why don't we stack our dishes and head up to the deck, ne?"

"Haha, sure, sure."

The duo piled their dirty dishes away, and made their way towards the staircase. Step by step they ascended the stairs, and were soon greeted by the bright, blue sky, the glimmering sun, the shimmering waves, and a swarm of seagulls playfully bickering in the sky above.

"The fresh air feels good," Kakashi commented, leaning on the railing while peering out into the vast horizon.

"Yea, it's so refreshing," Denji agreed, joining the other male. "So what duty have you been assigned?"

"What?"

"You know, what station will you be at?"

"Oh, I'll be out on another ship again as soon as we hit land. I'll be in charge of weapon training, but I'll have to fight in the war too. What about you? Are you gonna handle all the tech stuff at base again?"

"Leave it to a Special Warfare Operator to be in all the action. Well, originally yes, but they decided that they needed more help in the IS field of the ship."

"So there's a chance I could see you?"

"Yea, like one in a ka-jillion," Denji laughed, earning a glare from Kakashi. "You know I want to be able to joke around with you like back in the days, but the chances of us being on the same boat are slim."

"I know, I know."

"Cheer up Kakashi, you'll be home before you know it!"

"You're too optimistic for your own good, you know that? It's so weird," Kakashi teased.

"Hey, it wouldn't hurt if you smiled ore often," Denji countered, punching the other playfully in the arm.

* * *

_Bang, bang, bang!_

"Iruka!" screamed a shrill voice from behind the man's front door. "Get your ass out here already!"

"Calm down, Anko!" Iruka yelled in return, struggling to pull on his jeans.

"The movie starts in ten minutes!"

"It's not my fault you told me about this at the last minute!" Iruka called out, opening the front door, only to come face to face with an irritated woman.

"Finally," she said with an exasperated sight. "Took you long enough, now let's go."

"What time is it anyways?" Iruka asked, walking alongside the woman.

"Hmm, it's one-twenty. Why?"

"Uh, wasn't the movie supposed to start an hour ago?"

"What?" Anko roared, coming to a complete stop, causing Iruka to stop too. "Damnit! Oh well, you wanna grab a quick bite to eat?"

"Sure, why don't we go to that new sushi restaurant downtown?"

"The one with all the flashy chefs?"

"Yea, sound like it'll be nice."

"Ok," Anko beamed, walking happily once again, pulling Iruka by the hand behind her. "I hope they have Dango."

"Er, I don't think they would, Anko," Iruka stated, preparing himself for an outburst.

"Can't ask for good service, can you?" the woman complained. She gave a sigh and continued walking in silence, until the two finally reached the restaurant. "Her we are."

The duo entered the restaurant and was greeted by a young, blond waiter.

"My name is Tachibana," the man greeted with a warm smile. "How may I serve this lovely couple today?"

"Couple?" Anko repeated, giving a short bark of laughter. "Oh no, he's gay."

"Oh?" Tachibana queried, eyeing Iruka up and down, before offering him a seductive smile. "Let's see if I can find a comfortable table for the beautiful gem," he said, eyes gazing at Iruka the entire time.

"Thanks!" Anko interrupted, much to the tanned man's relief.

The waiter led the two to an empty booth and left to go fetch their drinks.

"I got the tab, Iruka" Anko said, glancing at the menu.

"No, no I-" Iruka started, but abruptly stopped when the other shot him a death glare. "I mean thanks you."

"All right," Tachibana said, approaching the two with a glass of sake in each hand, "two sake's. Now what will you be having this afternoon?" he questioned, eyes returning to Iruka.

"We'll have two shrimp tempura specials," Anko said, handing the man both of heir menus.

"Excellent choice," the man said, giving a slight bow. "The chef will be out shortly," he confirmed, winking flirtatiously at Iruka, before leaving once again.

"Wow, he's really straight forward..." Iruka drawled out, a soft blush forming on his face.

"By the look on your face, I'd say that you kind of enjoy the attention, am I right?" Anko sniggered.

"What? No way, that's ridiculous. You know I'm not like that, well not like you at least," the young man countered.

"Touché, I've taught you well, but you'll never be as good as the master," Anko touted. "But in all honesty, something seems a little, well, off about this guy. It's like he's one of those crazy stalker people you see in movies or something."

"I don't know where you get your crazy ideas from."

"I'm serious! He's been eyeing you like you're a piece of choice-cut meat! It's just weird. Look! He's looking at you right now, over by the fish tank."

Iruka turned his head and immediately locked eyes with the waiter, who merely smirked. The tanned man immediately turned away, pretending as if he were busy with the glass of sake currently within his hand.

"This was a bad idea," he groaned out.

"Can't blame me, blame karma," Anko retorted.

"But what did I do that was so wrong?"

"Well you did make me miss my movie."

"Anko, you and I both know that you're the one who got the times mixed up."

"Denial."

"Denial my-"

"Is everything up to par?" Tachibana asked, startling Anko and Iruka.

"Um yes, it's quite lovely. This restaurant, I mean," Iruka replied, mentally slapping himself for sounding nervous.

"You know, you're awfully cute when nervous," Tachibana chuckled out, causing Iruka's eyes to widen in shock.

"You should see him when he's blushing like crazy," Anko chimed in.

"Anko!" Iruka scolded.

"Haha, it will only be a few more minutes, before the chef come out. He is currently tending to another table," Tachibana informed. "If there is anything you need, please give me a call."

He turned around and walked off into the kitchen.

"I hate you, Anko," Iruka seethed.

"I'm just trying to add some flare into your life," Anko giggled. "Now just relax and enjoy the free food and show."

(break)

Well isn't the waiter sort of... straight forward, as Iruka put it haha. I hope you enjoyed, and please review!


	12. The Confession

Yo, wolf here. Well this chapter kind of explains a lot. It gives some useful background info, so yea, haha. Hope you enjoy!

Suku-chan: Thanks :) I'm glad you like it

Ryu Earth: Haha, I know, but what will we do without Anko? Lol

CrazyShikamaruFan: I'm glad you're still reading :) And yea, mothers can be pretty funny. You should continue writing your stories; I would love to read them!

(break)

"Well that was a rather interesting day of school," Iruka mumbled to himself, walking down the streets of Konaha, heading towards his house. "Who would have thought that Shikamaru dreamt of Ino like that. I'm so glad I'm not a sleep-talker and- oof!" Iruka fell down onto the paved walkway. "I'm so sorry," he apologized hastily, getting up to apologize to the person properly. "I got lost in thought and-"

"Well if it isn't my blushing gem. How are you?" came an all too familiar voice.

Iruka looked up and immediately regretted doing so once he saw who the voice belonged to.

"Oh hey, uh, Tachibana," Iruka said with fake happiness, pushing himself off of the ground and dusting the dirt off of his dress pants.

"Ah, I'm so happy you remember me, although I never got you name…"

"My name? Uh, it's Iruka," the tanned man answered reluctantly.

"What a beautiful name. It suits you. After all, dolphins are quite beautiful and graceful. It must be fate that brought us here together, won't you agree?"

"Fate?" Iruka repeated.

'Geez, how weird can this guy be,' the tanned man thought in slight discomfort.

"Yes, fate. It's as if destiny wanted us to be together after our little encounter."

Not to be rude or anything, but we're kind of in the middle of the street."

"Of course, of course. Why not join me in this café?"

"Oh, well I was actually on my way home from work, and I'm… taken."

"Nonsense, this is only a quaint conversation between two friends. I insist!" Tachibana exclaimed, dragging Iruka into the café and seating him in a nearby table.

"There, that's better," the blonde stated, taking a seat.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Iruka asked, shifting around slightly in his seat.

"Well I… I'm sorry Iruka. This will sound stupid, but you remind me so much of my crush," Tachibana confessed, lowering his head in shame.

"What?"

"You see, I like this man named Denji, a lot. I met him in a neighboring village, but he didn't seem to truly notice me. He recently went to war and- I'm so sorry. I just felt so alone and worried. When I first saw you, something in your eyes reminded me of him. You have that little spark that he has."

"I'm sorry, Tachibana. I know how you feel. My boyfriend recently went off to war, so I know how stressful it is."

"Really?" Tachibana asked, looking up at the other man.

"Yea," Iruka confirmed with a small smile. "Why don't we go back to my place and chat over some tea."

"Yea, that sounds nice. Thanks."

The two made their way back to the teacher's house, the waiter telling the other about the events that led up to him meeting Denji.

"So you met him at a bank?" Iruka questioned, walking over to the kitchen counter to prepare the tea once Tachibana made himself comfortable at the dining table.

"I wouldn't say met… more like I saw him," the blonde corrected. "He was withdrawing some money, when the person at the counter asked why his hair was so short. He started yelling about how some jerk had the nerve to cut it off. He then ranted that he should have shoved the scissors up the man's ass. I found his temper quite adorable."

"Hmm, so you like them feisty, haha. What does he look like?"

"When I saw him, his hair was a dazzling emerald green, reaching to the tips of his ears. His eyes were hazel, and they had this look that said 'I'm a nice guy, but fuck with me and your ass is mine,' haha. His skin is a beautiful, creamy white, and he's a little shorter than me."

"He sounds like a true beauty," Iruka commented, returning to the table with two cups of tea. "Why didn't you introduce yourself?"

"And risk getting my head chewed out by him? No way!"

"So how did you figure out his name?"

"That's another funny story," Tachibana chuckled, taking a sip from his tea. "I was in a bookstore checking out the new releases, when a book titled 'The Scarlet Dragon,' caught my eye. I picked it up and opened the front cover to read the summary, when a picture popped out at me. It was of Denji, only with longer hair. His hair was actually so long, it got cut off by the photo. I recognized the same feisty look in his eyes, so I knew it was him. Underneath the photo was the phrase 'written by Denji Shunsuke.'"

"That almost sounds like a stalker story," Iruka giggled, laughing even harder when the other glared at him.

"It wasn't!" Tachibana defended. "It was just mere coincidence."

"I thought the word was destiny," the tanned man teased.

"Same difference," Tachibana chuckled. "So tell me about you guy."

"Kakashi? He's a blundering oaf," Iruka plainly stated.

"That's a sweet way of showing your love."

"Ok, ok, redo. He's caring, sweet, and a major perv. He's taller than me, and muscular as fuck. He has pale skin, messy, silver hair that always manages to defy gravity, and blue and red eyes. Um, let's see, he wears a mask out of pure paranoia over his 'beautiful face,' which actually is very sexy. He's very protective and can be immature when he wants to be. We actually met at his job, in a dojo, because of a student of mine. It was love at first sight. He actually proposed just before he left."

"Wow, he sounds exotic," Tachibana said, laughing as the other male blushed.

"Exotic?" Iruka repeated, trying to control his blush. "That's a new one."

"Thanks, Iruka," the blonde whispered, smiling graciously at the other man. "It's nice to know I have someone who knows how I feel."

"You're welcome, Tachibana. The feeling's mutual. If you ever want to hang out or something, I'll be here."

* * *

"Kakashi Hatake!" roared a loud, baritone voice from across the room.

Kakashi made his way onto the stage, joining the other members who were called. Once everyone was accounted for, a young man clad in a spotless, Navy uniform, adorned with various badges, approached them.

"My name is Hachiku Najime. I am the commanding officer for the special weapons squad. Ah, I see we have an assistant among us, and a worthy one at that. Hatake, please join me up here." All eyes shifted to the silver haired man as he made his way to the officer's side. "Everyone, this is Kakashi Hatake, a well renowned weapons master. He will be aiding me in training, so show him the same respect you would show me, understood?"

"Yes, sir!" the crowd all answered.

"Good. Return to your separate quarters and meet me at the flag pole at five a.m., fully dressed in your uniforms and ready to go. Kakashi, you will meet me half an hour earlier, so that I may present you with your proper badges and medals. We all leave bas at six, and will report to Pacific Harbor to board our next ship. Remember, we are fighting as allies to the Americans, and also as warriors of our own land, so give it your all. Understood? Good. Dismissed!"

The crowd all broke off to their lodgings, dragging their feet wearily, exhaustion evident in their body language.

'Onto another ship,' Kakashi thought bitterly. 'I wonder how Denji and Iruka are doing.'

He made his way into his cabin and plopped himself onto the bed, not bothering to change out of his current attire.

"Might as well get as much sleep as I can," he grumbled, burying his head into the pillow.

* * *

Kakashi was soon awakened by the melodic sound of a distant trumpet. Grumbling loudly, he sat up.

'You've got to be shitting me,' he thought, scratching his stomach in a lazy manner. He looked at his clock and flinched when he saw what time it was. 'Four-fifteen. Crap, crap, crap! I'm gonna be late!'

He jumped out of bed, grabbing some clean undergarments and uniform, as he dashed towards the restroom facilities, knocking down anyone in his way- completely ignoring the angry rumbling of his stomach. Once he was fully dressed, he ran towards the flag pole, silently praying that he was on time.

"Ah, Kakashi, good to see you," Hachiku greeted, shaking the pale man's hand.

"Yes, l-likewise, Mr. Najime," Kakashi stuttered nervously, slightly confused as to why the other officer was in such a cheerful mood.

"Please Kakashi, call me Hachiku."

"Yes sir- I mean Hachiku."

"Great. You know, we'll definitely win this war with you here."

'Oh, that's why,' Kakashi thought. 'I'm some kind of war deity.'

"Oh, before I forget, let me present you with a golden name badge, and a few pins and medals for your previous service."

'Gosh, I can't believe I'm a veteran. That makes me feel ancient. Why couldn't they think of a cooler sounding name, like Naval Master,' Kakashi pondered, as Hachiku finished placing the various medals and badges onto his uniform. 'Wait. I'm technically considered that.'

"There, all done," Hachiku said, admiring his handiwork. "Now for the serious part. I wanted to give you a brief overview of what you will be doing here. You will aide me in the newcomers' training abroad the S.S. Aqua. Once everyone is sufficiently trained, they will join the war, along with us, but I repeat, not until everyone is trained. Our unit will be at sea for roughly two years, occasionally stopping at various ports along the way to exchange info and gather supplies. It is at the end of that term that you may leave, or stay, depending on how you feel."

"Understood," Kakashi confirmed.

"Excellent. Here come the trainees now." Kakashi turned his attention to the incoming crowd, noticing how out of breath they were from that short run. "Get to attention," Hachiku commanded, once they all arrived.

'Great, this will be fun," Kakashi thought sarcastically, as he watched the men and women struggle to remember the correct position for attention. 'They don't even know the basics.'

"Feet together, stomach in, chest out, shoulders back, hands fisted to the side with elbows slightly bent, and eyes up," Kakashi reminded in a monotone voice.

"I hope you remember that next time," Hachiku warned. "All right, Pacific Harbor is only a couple of miles away, so you all can march there. Kakashi, please start them off for me."

"Yes sir," Kakashi responded, clapping his hands rhythmically. "All right, let's go!"

(break)

Woah! There's a little love parallelogram going on here haha. Anyways, please review! :D


	13. The New Member

Yo, wolf here. Not much to say, my brain's been fired with school haha. Hope you enjoy!

XxSesshomaruandRinxX: Haha who wouldn't? Such a strong seme

stunnaz4lyfe: Thanks, I'm glad :) And no, it's not

(break)

Kakashi walked down the stairs into the basement of the S.S. Aqua, mind trying to formulate a proper lesson for the day.

'This can't be too hard, now can it?' he asked himself, turning a sharp corner. 'I'll just make today and assessment. Maybe ask them a few questions to see what they know.' He passed by a door that was slightly ajar, and out of curiosity, took a peek inside. 'Hmm, whoever that is, they have incredibly long, green hair. Wait! Long, green hair? Could it be Denji? No, no, my minds playing tricks on me. Stay on focus.' He soon came to a door that read 'Conference Room.'

"Her goes nothing," he whispered, entering the room. "Good morning. My name is Kakashi Hatake, and I will be the one teaching you about the various types of weapons."

"Good morning, sir," the class mechanically called out.

'That's not creepy at all,' the pale man thought, walking up to the front of the room. 'Hachiku said that the weapons were already here so…' He looked around the room, and was surprised to see a copious amount of weapons dangling from the walls. 'Not weird at all.'

"Ok, before we even think about touching a single weapon, I want to know what you know about them. Who has had any experiences with them?" A young, brunette rose her hand timidly. "Yes, uh…"

"Yoko," she finished.

"Right, Yoko. So what experience have you had?"

"I was actually wondering if a regular knife counted, like in cooking," she said meekly.

"Unless you plan on killing a carrot, no."

"Oh."

"Ok class, I see none of you knows what to do. That's ok. It just means that you all are blank slates in which I can work with. Now, let's start with a simple assessment. Who knows what the most reliable weapon is for close combat fighting?" Kakashi asked, scanning the room. "Blue haired guy, your name?"

"Ren," the man answered flatly.

"Your answer?"

"A throwing spear."

"And why is that?"

"Well, they're sharp, and pretty light weight."

"I'll give you an 'A' for effort, but you're wrong. A spear's body is slender and elongated, which means it is best suited for long distance fighting, more specifically, for throwing, as you previously mentioned. Anyone else? No? The correct answer is your own two fists. They're the most reliable when the opponent has confiscated all of your weapons, but you must be in top physical condition to succeed. I'll go more into that later. Your second best friend is the hook sword. Although it too is slender, like the spear, it has numerous focal points in which you can grab it, thus allowing you to control the intensity of your attacks. It is also reversible, with one side being a regular sword, and the other acting as a hook, which can be used for gouging, theft of an item, and in extreme cases, leverage, when in need of quick transportation. Any questions?"

"Sir?"

"Yes, Yoko?"

"What about a regular sword?"

"That would fall fourth, behind brass knuckles."

"And why is that?"

Kakashi smiled at the girl's curiosity, and answered, "You see, swords are quite easy to get knocked out of your grasp. They also break easily, when hit at the correct point. Brass knuckles, on the other hand, can be adorned with numerous spikes, some of which may be poisoned, that deals a lot of damage upon impact. They are also difficult to remove."

"Wow, that's so cool."

"I'm glad you think so, Yoko," Kakashi stated, causing the young girl to blush slightly. "All right, close combat aside, I want every one of you to state the weapon you think is the ultimate best- no, the weapon you would use, and why. We'll start with belly-shirt over there. Wait, why is your stomach showing? That's not part of the- oh whatever. Your name?"

"Sai," the male replied drearily.

"Your weapon?"

"A tai chi sword, because wielding one is equivalent to sculpting art. You must be a true artisan who knows what his goals are. One mistake and you can potentially ruing your end result."

"Unusually deep, but whatever suits you. Next?"

"Tao, sir. My weapon would be the dagger, because it is easily hidden, it's compact, and with the correct aim, it's highly fatal."

"Good," Kakashi answered. He continued with the assignment, moving down the row accordingly, until everyone stated their weapon of choice. "I'm glad to see that all of you have at least some sort of knowledge about weaponry. That will save me a lot of trouble. Oh, it's already three- thirty. Tomorrow we will address the pros and cons of the bow and arrow, ok? Good. Class dismissed."

The class happily exited the room, leaving Kakashi alone in the room.

'Two more years,' Kakashi thought in anguish.

"Hey," came a familiar voice. "I thought I recognized that voice."

Kakashi turned his attention towards the entrance, and almost jumped when he saw who was standing in the doorway.

"Denji? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Well I thought I would take a nice cruise out on the ocean and- what do you think I'm doing here? Such a dumbass," the green haired man chastised.

"Still as mean as ever."

"Yeah, yeah. You know who else is on here? Gai."

"What? Oh great, not only do I get to teach, I also get to hide from a creepy man. "

"Why? I thought you two were really close friends."

"He's more like a pest. He always challenges me to some youthful crap to see who the best person is."

"Awe, that's not nice."

"Yeah, well life's not fair. Oh, don't you dare mention to him that I'm here, got it?"

"Yes, master, haha. So are you gonna join me for a bit, or will you be crawling back to your emo corner?"

"You actually got a break?"

"No, I just wanted to sneak off and risk getting my ass chewed out by the captain," Denji sarcastically replied with a grin.

"Well what do you think, De-de?" Kakashi replied, smirking.

"Glad to have you back."

* * *

"This doesn't feel right without Kakashi," Genma complained, earning a jab in the rib from Raidou. "What did I do? All I'm saying is that the last time we were out at a bar like this, Kakashi was here with us."

"Genma, shut it!" Raidou seethed, throwing an apologetic glance towards Iruka.

"It's ok," Iruka said, smiling slightly. "It's been a couple of days since he left, so I'm starting to get used to the feeling," the man explained, taking a sip from his drink.

"I'm glad you're doing ok," Raidou said, beaming brightly. "Aren't you Gen- Genma! What the hell are you doing?"

"I was trying to see if I could balance this spoon on my nose," the brunette replied, swaying back and forth in an attempt to keep the spoon from falling.

"You look like a child, knock it off," his lover hissed, reaching for the spoon, only to be blocked by Genma's arm.

"Nope, won't quit. I don't complain when you drag me to those stupid chic-flicks of yours, do I?"

"Stupid? They have great story plots," Raidou defended, laughing when the spoon fell from the other's nose and landed on the table with a small clank. "There, serves you right. Karma."

"I'll show you karma when we get home and- what's so funny?" Genma asked Iruka, when the tanned man suddenly burst out in a fit of giggles.

"You two," Iruka breathed out between stifles of laughter. "You guys act like one of those old, married couples on T.V."

"Old? I'll have you know I'm in the prime of my youth," Genma retorted.

"Prime? Youth? Please," Raidou countered, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "What about that time you found a gray hair? Or that time you pulled your back bending over for the remote? Or better yet, the time you fell asleep while cooking!"

"For the last time, I did not pull my back. I was just sore from working out, and bending over didn't help. The gray hair thing is just genetics, and I didn't fall asleep, I just had some delayed blinks. I'm glad you're enjoying this Iruka," Genma stated, noticing how the young teacher was struggling to breathe.

"Please, please, new subject. Can't breathe," Iruka begged, clutching his stomach.

"Look what you did, Raidou," Genma scolded, shaking his head in disappointment. "Causing the poor man to- ow! Ok, ok, I'll stop. God, just quit hitting me, damn."

"Good," Raidou confirmed with a smile. "Oh yea, Iruka, who was that one blonde guy you were with yesterday? I saw you two in Granny Tsubasa's Café the other day."

"Oh, Tachibana? He's just a worried soul like me. His crush was recruited for war, and he just wanted someone to talk to. We actually met in a restaurant, thanks to Anko, and he kind of, uh how do I say this… I reminded him of his crush, so he tried to get close to me. He's a really nice person once you get to know him."

"Woah," Genma began, "not even a week after Kakashi left and you already have men after you. You're a dick magnet 'Ruru."

"Genma!" Raidou yelled, slapping the man square in the face, "What the fuck is your problem? I told you not to mention you know who!"

"It's ok Raidou, really, it was just a joke, haha," Iruka defended, reaching over to pat the enraged man on the hand.

"Yeah baby, calm down, please? I'm sorry," Genma apologized, giving his love the best pout he could muster.

"Ugh," Raidou sighed, "you know I can't say no to that face. Ok, you're forgiven, but no make-up sex."

"I- you- we- fine," Genma muttered, sulking slightly.

"Now," Raidou continued, "do you mind if I ask who Tachibana has his eyes on?"

"He likes a man named Denji," Iruka replied. "Do you know him?"

"Denji… Denji, the name sounds familiar," Raidou said.

"He's a famous novelist," Iruka offered. "He has long, green hair, if that helps."

"Oh yeah," Raidou exclaimed, "Denji Shunsuke. He's a great writer, but has a short temper, or so the media claims."

"It's true," Iruka chuckled out. "Tachibana actually met him while he was fighting with a bank employee."

"Wow, how romantic?" Raidou giggled out.

The two turned their attention to Genma, who was still sulking in his chair. The man looked back and forth between the two, before mouthing a silent 'what?'

"Well, you've been quite for so long, I was starting to get worried," Raidou stated.

"Everything I've said so far has gotten me into trouble, so I figured I'd shut up and save myself the trouble," Genma retorted.

"I see you're getting smarter by the second," Iruka laughed out, quieting down when the pouting man shot him a glare.

"Genma, don't be like that," Raidou said, poking the man's cheek softly. "Fine, make-up sex."

"Really? Yes! I love you!" Genma exclaimed jubilantly, hugging the other tightly. "You're the best."

'See what I have to go through?' Raidou mouthed to the tanned man, who began sniggering silently in return.

"Ok, so does Denji know he exists?" Genma inquired, pulling back from his love.

"Er, I'm not too sure," Iruka replied, scratching the back of his head. "He might have looked at Tachibana for a split second, but I don't think he knows his name."

"Wow, the blonde guy sounds like a stalker," Genma commented.

"That's what I said," Iruka stated, "but he kept saying it wasn't like that. You know, it's really funny if you try to imagine the whole situation."

"Gay people have all the fun," Raidou commented from out of the blue, causing the other two to laugh. "Looks like this Tachibana guy is going to be a fun addition to our pack."

(break)

Yay! Denji's back haha, which means only fun things can happen. Please review!


	14. The Assumption

Yo, wolf here! This chapter was pretty fun to write, so I hope you enjoy!

XxSesshomaruandRinxX: Lol fun things are awesome

Kuchiki-Akisame: Oh my gosh, how did that happen! Thanks for pointing that out! And I'm glad you enjoy the story!

Ryu Earth: lol poor Yoko has an innocent little crush

(break)

"Kakashi, I told you a million times, the captain gave us orders to relax. Quit freaking out already," Denji commanded, pushing the silver haired man into a local pub.

"I know. I just thought that he would want us to do something important. I mean, this is the first land base we've stopped at after four months of traveling," Kakashi stated, seating himself at a nearby booth.

"This is important. We, more importantly you, need this time to unwind a little, ok?"

"Ok," Kakashi said, leaning back into his chair, eyes closed in relaxation.

"Here you go boys, free of charge for our men at war," a young raven haired waitress said, placing two bottles of beer in front of the two men.

"Thanks, we appreciate it greatly," Denji said, smiling kindly at the young woman.

She bowed slightly and left with a warm smile.

"Bowing?" Kakashi questioned, "That's a new one."

"So is the free beer, but hey, who's complaining," Denji chuckled out, grinning as he took a gulp from his drink.

"Cheers," Kakashi said, holding up his bottle.

"Cheers," Denji said, clanking his bottle against the others. "Ah, this hits the spot."

"Yea."

"You know, I've been thinking."

"You thinking? Holy shit the world will freeze over," the pale man sniggered out.

"Fuckin bastard. You're lucky I'm in too much of a good mood to hurt you. Anyways, as I was saying, have you ever thought about what Iruka might be doing?"

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked, eyeing the man up and down. "He does what he always does. Eat, sleep, teach, shop, spend time with Naruto, and other things like that."

"No… that's not quite what I was getting at," Denji whispered, avoiding eye contact with the silver haired man.

"Spit it out already."

"Aye, calm down," Denji said, laughing when the other rolled his eyes. "What I meant was, do you ever think he's, you know, with another person?"

"Denji, what the hell are you talking about? Iruka would never do that!"

"Stop yelling! Just hear me out. It's been a little more than four months since we've been out at sea since you've been away and-"

"And nothing," Kakashi interrupted. "Iruka's not like that."

"And maybe he thought you found a new lover to satisfy you at sea," Denji continued, completely ignoring the other male. "So then he felt betrayed and found someone else… or just felt betrayed and left it at that."

"I swear, you're lucky I know how to put up with your bull shit, Denji. You watch way too many soap operas.

"You sure it's not just because you're drunk?" Denji teased.

"Off of half a beer? I'm not a light weight," Kakashi chuckled out. "But seriously… you think he might think that?"

"The soap operas don't lie Kakashi."

"No. I don't believe it. Iruka always stood by me throughout the years no matter what, and I just don't think he'd do that. He's smarter than that. Hell, I even proposed to him before I left," Kakashi whispered.

"Lots of people say I love you without meaning it, so it can't be too hard to propose without any plans of a future. I'm not saying that you did that- I know you love him to death, but maybe he just, you know, thought differently."

"Enough," Kakashi said, slamming his bottle on the table. "I don't want to hear anymore of this."

"Kakashi, I just don't want you to get hurt. Just prepare for the worst, ok? That way, nothing will surprise you."

"Thanks, De-de, but I can handle it. You know, its freaky hearing something so negative come out of your mouth."

"I don't shit rainbows Kakashi," the green haired man teased.

"Damn, and I was hoping for some skittles," Kakashi bantered, earning a kick in the shin. "Fuck, I thought you were in a good mood?"

"Yea well its over."

"Deceitful little green haired gnome."

"Stuck up, egotistical toad," Denji insulted, blowing the man a small kiss.

"Ugh, you're like the little brother I never wanted," Kakashi said, rolling his eyes at the other's antics.

"Awe, you make me feel so loved," Denji chuckled, chugging the rest of the beer left in his bottle.

"And you make me feel smart."

"Ignoring you."

"You sound like a diva."

"Did we come out here to argue or get drunk?" Denji asked, glaring daggers at Kakashi.

"Calm down ice queen, don't get your panties in a knot. Besides, why can't we do both?"

"There's never a happy medium with you is there?"

"What are you talking about? That's a good compromise," Kakashi defended.

"Fine, fine, have it your way."

"I plan to. So what do you think of Hokkaido?"

"Well, even though we basically just rushed off to this bar as soon as we hit shore, from what I've seen so far, it's a pretty nice little island, although the volcanoes kind of freak me out," the green haired man admitted.

"You know they haven't been active for a while, right?"

"Yea, but that gives them a perfect opportunity to erupt any second."

"Ah," Kakashi said, staring down at the drink in his hand.

"Why so glum all of a sudden?"

"I was just thinking… what if what you said was true?"

"About the volcanoes? You're probably right. They won't explode for-"

"No, no, not that. About Iruka. What if you're right and he, you know…"

"What happened to 'Iruka's not like that'?"

"I know deep down that he's loyal, but part of me can't help but think that he would actually do that. I don't think he'd do it out of spite or anything, but rather someone might take advantage of his trusting nature."

"Kakashi, come on, you and I both know that that's unlikely. You know, Iruka might be thinking the exact same thing. He might be sitting there wondering if you still remember him."

"I do! I call whenever I get a chance!"

"Well as long as he still answers your calls, there's nothing to worry about. Now let's forget about this and get wasted!"

* * *

"I can't thank you enough for coming to the park with me, Iruka," Tachibana said, gazing up at the clear blue sky. "It's comforting having you around."

"Same here," Iruka chuckled out, eyes following a lone rose petal drifting in the wind. "And you're welcome. So do you know what you'll do when Denji returns?"

"I'll wait for him at Konaha shore, and when he arrives, I'll confess my undying love for him and we'll live happily ever after."

"I'll take that as a no?"

"Bingo."

"Denji, if you ever want anything to happen, you have to take the initiative."

"I know, but what if he rejects me?"

"You act like you've never asked anyone out before."

"Only two other guys."

"What? Really?" Iruka asked in disbelief, receiving a short nod 'yes' in return. "Wow, well what about when you were trying to seduce me?"

"There's a difference between flirting and asking someone out haha."

"Touché."

"I've been thinking about you and Kakashi's relationship for a while, and I was wondering, do you ever think that he may be cheating on you?"

"You're kidding, right? Kakashi wouldn't do that, he's not like that."

"Iruka, a lot of people have high sexual needs, and from what you've told me, Kakashi's one of them."

"Tachibana, knock it off, I don't want to hear anymore."

"Iruka, please. I think of you as a close friend. I just don't want you to get hurt in the end."

"I won't get hurt, because nothing will happen."

"Iruka, it's good to have faith, but just be prepared," the blonde pleaded.

"Tachibana I- thanks for your concern, but I'm positive Kakashi will remain faithful."

"Some part of you doubts that, doesn't it. I can tell."

Iruka sighed and lowered his head.

"I know it's horrible to think that way, but I just can't help it."

"We don't have to talk about it now, if you don't want to. All I'm saying is that although you two are deeply in love, there is still a slim possibility for that. I just want you to be safe. We can change the topic."

"Yea, that would be nice."

* * *

"Day two in Hokkaido!" Denji exclaimed, walking down the town's streets while Kakashi trailed behind. "Hey, quit sulking and pick up the pace!"

"I'm not sulking," Kakashi retorted. "It just feels weird that we have nothing to do."

"We've been working day and night non-stop for god knows how long. The captain knows damn well to give us a break. I mean, I have bags under my eyes!"

"Oh no, the horrors," Kakashi drawled out, staring off lazily at the mountain scenery towards the distant horizon.

"I swear if you don't cheer up I'll- hey! Look over there, at that bench. See that guy?" Denji asked, pointing at a young, red haired man. "Look! He's looking at you and blushing. Awe, little Kakashi has a crush already."

"Denji, shut it. He could just be sick or something."

"That's why he's chewing on his lip?"

"Ugh, fine, fine. Maybe he does and- look, can we change the topic? I'm not interested in an affair."

"I never said you were, mister paranoid. I was just pointing something out. You know, we should go mountain climbing or hiking… or something. I don't want to waste this perfect break from that shit hole."

"Haha, hyper as always. Alright, we can go hiking. Wait, that sounds like too much work. We can go for a walk through the mountains. That sounds better," Kakashi chuckled, laughing harder when Denji rolled his emerald eyes.

"I guess the cups always half empty for you, right?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Never mind, haha, I'll tell you when you're old enough to understand."

"I'm older than you, dipshit, by three years."

"But I'm smarter, so we're even. Now, let's head to the mountain side!" Denji yelled eagerly, grabbing Kakashi's hand, only to run off into the direction of mountains. "Off to Mount Tikelu!"

The duo made their way to the mountain, winding through the twisting, exotic Coro jungle, and up the sparkling Hyun River.

"You know," Denji started, walking alongside the river. "I heard a legend, I forgot where, but it said that there's supposed to be a guardian living here."

"A guardian?" the pale man repeated, treading alongside the green haired male.

"Yea, it's supposed to be a long, slender, blue dragon named Monozu. Apparently, he lives in Hyun River, on the ocean floor, and he's supposed to appear when great danger comes to Hokkaido. He also has the ability to purify polluted water, and bring great rainfall whenever he pleases. I wish I could see him."

"And get eaten by him?"

"He wouldn't eat me. He's a friendly dragon."

"Haha, only when he's not hungry."

"Have you met him before?"

"No."

"Exactly, now shut up," Denji demanded, earning a sigh from the other man.

"So bossy, as usual. Hey look, we're here," Kakashi pointed out, halting when he reached the base of the mountain.

"Finally! I'm so excited!"

"Yeah, me too," Kakashi replied sarcastically.

"Oh just shut up and lets enjoy our last day here."

(break)

Oh my, some assumptions are happening. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Well please review!


	15. The First Foe

Major chapter alert! Major chapter alert! Lol, enough robot sounds. So this chapter here is pretty key to the plot. So I hope you enjoy!

XxSesshomaruandRinxX: What can I say? Denji and Tachibana like to start some scenarios with our favorite characters lol

xoxShika-chanxox: I'm so glad that you're still reading! And thanks for liking my story. Trust me, your comments mean a lot, you and all my other loyal readers :) And I like your profile pic

(break)

'I won the lottery yesterday. Whenever that has happened in my family, someone close either died the next day, or was severely injured. What the hell does this mean?' Iruka pondered, scribbling furiously onto a student's homework paper. 'Who's in trouble? Dear Lord, look at me… I'm relying on some silly folklore to predict others' fates. I need to take a deep breath and calm down. A lot of people win the lottery just by chance… yeah, that's it, chance.'

"Sensei," a feminine voice called out, "why do you look so worried?"

"Yeah," another agreed. "You look like something horrible is about to happen."

"I do? I'm sorry," Iruka apologized, not averting his eyes from the papers he were currently grading.

"W-what's wrong?" Hinata shyly asked.

"I don't know how to describe it, but today, I woke up with a bad feeling, as if something terrible would happen to… someone close to me."

"You're worried about Kakashi, aren't you?" Kiba voiced loudly, almost throwing the tanned man off of his grading process. "Don't sweat it sensei. Kakashi's mega tough. One time, he knocked me over with just his pointer finger, so I doubt anything bad can happen to him."

"Are you sure he knocked you over, or did you just lose balance?" Shino sniggered out.

"Hey! Quiet, bug freak," Kiba retorted, folding his arms across his chest.

"Haha, you two quit it," Iruka chuckled out, placing his pen down onto the table, stretching out his arms and back in his chair. "I know he's strong, but he can sometimes get pretty reckless. Well not sometimes, most of the time."

"Sensei," Lee began, "you need to have hope in Kakashi-san. He's in the prime of his youth. Nothing can get in his way!"

"Yea," Sasuke agreed. "He's stronger than that. He has this look of determination about him.

"And I know he'll make it back to see you," Sakura chimed in.

"I feel so horrible," Iruka stated, slouching in his chair in a tired manner. "I shouldn't be bothering you all with my troubles. I'm so sorry."

"Don't you dare apologize, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto demanded, standing up out of his chair, pointing a finger at the teacher. "You don't deserve to go through this alone! We're all here by your side- each and every one of us. We're family sensei, and family never let's each other down."

"Yea," the class agreed in unison, causing the teacher to begin to tear up slightly.

'Such a wonderful and caring bunch of kids,' Iruka thought happily.

"Thank you so much, you don't know how much this means," the teacher thanked. "You all are wonderful, and I'm so grateful to have family as great as you."

* * *

"To activate the hidden poison needles, you just have to-" Kakashi began, but was soon interrupted by a loud, ear-splitting alarm.

"Alert," the ship's security system said. "Alert. Left propeller and rudder have been hit. Left propeller and rudder have been hit. Enemy on board. All weapons specialists take action. All weapons specialists take action."

"Well, this was bound to happen sooner or later. I'm just surprised we managed to make it eight months before this happened," Kakashi mumbled, grabbing a pair of brass knuckles and attaching them to his fists. "All right everyone, as you have heard, the enemy has made it aboard the ship. Our job is to protect the information the computer techs have gathered so far. I want each of you to grab a weapon, preferably one you know how to use, and prepare yourself for battle."

"Sir!" Yoko called out, shaking in fear. "I don't get it! How can we just go into fighting mode all of a sudden? We aren't even fully trained!"

"I understand how you feel, Yoko," Kakashi answered, offering the young girl a comforting smile, "but as they say, all's fair in love and war. Don't worry about your status. I have great confidence in all of you. Now hurry and move out. Position yourselves evenly across the ship, and I want at least ten of you surrounding the computer station. Belly-shirt! You're coming with me."

"The name is Sai," Sai stated flatly.

"Whatever," Kakashi said. "Just come with me."

"Why?"

"I'll tell you once we start moving," Kakashi answered, running out the door with Sai close behind.

"Ok, explain," Sai demanded.

"You're very demanding for a brat. You're the best of all the students, so I figured you'd be of good assistance."

"Too old to handle things by yourself?"

"I'm in my twenties. Besides, I thought it would be a good way to test out your true potential," Kakashi replied, turning a corner., immediately coming face to face with one of the intruders, who was adorned with various explosives and poison darts.

"Hmm, two young, and foolish looking opponents," the intruder said with a heavy Russian accent. "This should be easy."

"Ok Sai, don't let this go to your head. Stay focused. What am I worried about? It's just some old, wrinkled, Russian prune," Kakashi seethed.

"I'll show you old, you son of a bitch!" the man screamed, rushing forward with a clenched fist in the air.

"He's all yours, Sai," Kakashi said, taking a step back from the porcelain skinned boy.

"With pleasure," Sai whispered, smirking when he dodged the first blow and countered with a kick to the ribs.

The Russian man winced slightly, but quickly recovered, grabbing a small, poisonous dart and throwing it hastily towards the young boy. Sai clutched his hook sword tightly and rose it to meet his eye-level, turning the instrument so that the hook was behind him, with the curved tip pointing towards the intruder. The dart slid along the weapon's glossy surface and up the hook, only to change directions and travel back towards the Russian man.

"What the hell are you-" the man began, but stopped mid sentence when the dart pierced the skin of his neck. "H-How the fuck did you…?"

His eyes grew wide, as blood began to trickle out of his nose, eyes, and mouth. He made an eerie gurgling sound before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell to his knees. With one last gasp of breath, he fell face first onto the ship's metallic surface, a pool of crimson blood pooling around him.

"Well that was pretty easy," Sai stated rather disappointedly. "I was hoping for more of a fight."

"Says the kid who just pulled some fucking movie stunt. You have my respect, brat," Kakashi praised, walking up to the dead man. He lowered himself into a crouching position and rolled the man over, checking his pockets for valuable information. His hand brushed against a piece of paper, and he pulled it out, scanning it over before reading it out loud. "April fourth, April fifteenth, March twenty-third… It's just a list of dates."

"Well that's not useful," Sai said, sheathing his hook sword back into its strap on his back.

"On the contrary, this is quite useful. If he was carrying it with him, it must be important. It could be a list of possible attack dates, or of days when they plan to encounter their allies and exchange information. I'll take this to the captain once we're done. Right now, we have to head over to the computer station and assist the other students. I have a feeling that's where most of the enemies will be. Be on your guard for attacks from above, though. They'll want to make sure their infiltrators are properly protected."

The two continued running, weapons bared in front of them as a defense system, minds focused on the task at hand. They came to a harsh skid when they finally reached the computer rooms, watching as a few of the other students tried to fend off the attackers.

"I'll take the group on the right," Sai offered, rushing of to aid his fellow classmates, not waiting for a confirmation from the older man.

"Such a feisty one," Kakashi muttered, before joining the battle himself.

He ran towards the invaders on the left, effectively knocking one unconscious in a matter of seconds.

"Sir, we tried to keep them back as best as we can, but we're outnumbered," a young red head male stated, dodging a knife that was thrown in his direction.

"You guys are doing great. Just remember not to get over confident," Kakashi reminded, adjusting his brass knuckles.

"What do we have here?" a middle-aged man asked, eyeing Kakashi up and down. He was clad in silver plates that covered his chest, stomach, shoulders, and legs, and had a long, grey mustache that reached the tips of his fingers. "Well I'll be damned. It's the great Kakashi Hatake himself. Didn't think I'd see you back here. When was the last time I saw you again?" the man tauntingly questioned, twirling his mangy beard in his fingers while spinning his sword in his hand. "Oh yea, it was when I killed your friend- you know, the one who had the black hair and was always ready to fight. Obito, I think his name was. I'll never forget the look on his face when I sliced his throat open, hahaha. He begged and pleaded, but I wasn't in a kind mood at the moment. You should have seen all the blood that came out! It was like a waterfall and it-"

"Shut up!" Kakashi demanded, effectively ending the man's speech. "You have no right to talk bout Obito in that way, Miyagi. It's disgusting to think that you can do something that cruel to your own blood."

"My own blood?" Miyagi repeated. "Please. We were only related because my idiot of a sister married his even more of an idiot brother. I could care less about him."

"Even if you are biologically distant, you should have still treated him like family," Kakashi stated, clenching his fists at his side.

"Awe, is the mighty killing machine tearing up? Are you about to cry?" Miyagi daringly teased.

"Sir," Yoko said in a hushed voice. "We have your back. You can take care of him."

Kakashi turned towards her and nodded, turning back towards the old man with a new look of hatred within his eyes.

"Cry my ass!" He yelled, charging straight towards the man.

He swung left, immediately making a connection with the man's jaw, relinquishing in the sound of teeth shattering within the other's mouth. Miyagi was pushed back a few inches from the blow, but quickly recovered, spitting out a glob of blood to the side. He ran straight towards Kakashi, sword in hand, swinging it left to right in a frenzied manner. Kakashi easily dodged the attacks, avoiding even the slightest of scratches. Left, right, left, down, right- he dodged the blows rhythmically, occasionally firing a barrage of punches and kicks in return, which unfortunately for Miyagi, were not easily avoidable.

"Quit dodging like a pussy and stand still," Miyagi demanded, raising his sword high above his head.

Kakashi crouched down and kicked the man's feet, effectively knocking him off balance, causing him to fall to the ground with a loud thud. He stood up, smirking at the man below him in sheer satisfaction.

"Who's the pussy now?" the silver haired man asked.

"Get your fucking hands out of my hair!" shouted a familiar, irritated voice.

"Oh, no! Denji!" Kakashi called out, turning towards the computer room, where Denji was being dragged across the floor and away from his computer by his hair; completely forgetting about the task at hand.

"Let me the fuck go!" Denji insisted, holding onto his head and wincing in agony.

"Denji, hold on!" Kakashi yelled, preparing to aid the trapped man.

"Not so fast," came a low and guttural voice from directly behind him. The pale man turned around and was met with a sword in his stomach. "Looks like your little friend just helped me out her. Tell him I said thanks… and oh, it looks like you're the pussy now," the man sniggered out, pulling the sword out of Kakashi's guts.

Kakashi dropped to his knees and clutched at his wound, blood spewing out of his mouth in short outbursts as he coughed frantically. He clutched his head as the room began to spin, and with one final cough, dropped to the floor.

"Kakashi!" Sai called out, running to his sensei's side. "Shit, don't do this, not now. I though you were tough! Kakashi, wake up! Wake up, damnit!" Sai demanded, but there was no response, only the sound of the pale man's slow and labored breaths, with the occasional gurgle of blood.

"Is he gonna make it?" Yoko asked, rushing to Kakashi's side.

"I don't know…," Sai answered, bowing his head and closing his eyes.

(break)

Oh noes! Kakashi can't be hurt, can he?


	16. The Club

Hey! Wolf here! I have a feeling some of you are gonna hate me for this chapter X( Anyways, I hope you enjoy, haha.

xoxShika-chanxox: Haha, it means I'm doing my job properly :) And thank you, I do love to give you guys some suspense.

XxSesshomaruandRinxX: Ah! I'm afraid of what you might do to me after this chapter O.O

(break)

"Ugh... where... where am I?" a tired voice asked.

"Huh? Sir! You're ok!"

"Yoko?" the voice repeated staring at the girl with a dumbfounded look. "What the hell happened to me, and why does it feel like I've been sleeping forever?"

"Kakashi sensei, you were in a coma for a week."

"A what?"

"Please, you can't agitate yourself. Your wounds are serious. You were about to protect Denji when this intruder stabbed you."

"Denji? Denji! Is he ok? Is everything alright?"

"I swear, I'll knock you out if you don't calm down," the girl warned.

"Sorry," Kakashi apologized sheepishly, relaxing into the sheets of the hospital bed.

"Good, and Denji is ok. Master Hajime came rushing by and took care of the intruders. He got hurt pretty badly- worse than you, but he's ok now."

"That's good to hear. I didn't know this ship had a hospital."

"It doesn't, haha. We made a B-line to the nearest island to get you two into medical care."

"Wow I caused all of this commotion? I feel so worthless."

"You're not worthless," Yoko comforted. "You protected all of us. I think that was very brave of you. I'm honored to be your student, sir; me and the rest of us are," Yoko finished with a small blush.

"I'm glad to have you as my student- all of you. You guys fought bravely. I'm proud of you," Kakashi praised, coughing slightly while clutching his sides. "Fuck," he seethed out.

"You need to relax more. I'll be in the waiting room, so ring the bell to your left if you need medical assistance. Take it easy," Yoko said, exiting the hospital room, leaving the pale man by himself.

"How the hell could I let myself get carried away like that and let down my defense? That was a horrible example for the students," Kakashi scolded himself, closing his eyes in frustration. "At least Hachiku was injured too... wait, that came out wrong. What I meant to say was... oh fuck it. At least Hachiku was injured too, so I didn't look like too much of an ass. I need a long vacation after this. Yeah, that sounds nice; a vacation with just me and Iruka. Maybe to Hawaii? Or maybe we'll stay in our country. As long as it's with 'Ruru, I'll be good. Look at me, I'm talking to myself now. I must be loosing my mind."

"Mr. Hatake?" called a female voice.

"Yes?" he answered opening his eyes to see who was calling him.

'A nurse?' he thought in slight confusion. 'Do I need a shot or something?'

"My name is Haruka. It's good to see you're finally awake after a week," the nurse said, entering the room, silently closing the door behind her. "How do you feel?"

"Like shit," the silver haired man answered bluntly.

"Haha, you're a straightforward person, aren't you? Well that's quite normal. Your body just needs about a day to recover its biological functions. You'll have to stay here for a few more days, so that we may gradually switch you over to solid food, and check on your healing. Your bandages look ok, so I'll change them in a few hours. I'll also administer a small shot during that time, which should aide in your recovery."

"Thank you so much, nurse. How is Hachiku doing?"

"Mr. Hajime? He's doing great. He woke up from his coma a few days ago, but he has major shoulder and chest injuries. Some major tendons were torn, and a few ribs were broken, but he'll make a clean recovery. He wanted me to tell you that you did a great job, and that he couldn't ask for a better assistant."

"Wow, I feel stupid now."

"Why?" Haruka asked, taking a seat by Kakashi's bedside.

"Huh?"

"You just said you felt stupid," she chuckled out.

"I did? Oops. It was nothing, really," Kakashi defended.

"Whatever you say," Haruka giggled softly. "So do you need anything? Something to drink, food...?"

"Oh no, thanks. I'm fine. I just need some more sleep, and then I'll be ok."

"Ok Mr. Hatake. Take care."

She exited the room as silently as she had entered, leaving Kakashi alone once again.

"I have to stop thinking out loud," Kakashi chastised himself, smacking his forehead with his palm when he realized he had just repeated the bad behavior. "Whatever, I'll fix my flaw later. So how long am I supposed to be in critical conditioning again? A month? No, that sounds too short. Maybe four? Hmmm, playing doctor is too hard-"

"Kakashi, you dumbass!" yelled a familiar voice.

"God?" Kakashi responded, earning a slap to the back of his head. "Hey, watch it! I'm in critical condition, thanks to you De-de."

"Thanks to me?" Denji repeated, standing by the pale man's bed, arms folded across his chest. "I didn't ask to be saved."

"So you liked being pulled by your hair? I would have never pegged you for a masochist."

"Fuck you. Besides, do you know what could have happened? You could have died! I was so worried!"

"Awe, someone cares," the silver haired man teased, sitting up in his bed.

"Of coursed I do... ugh don't make me get mushy here."

"Haha, you were always a softie."

"Anyways Mr. 'I'm gonna keep insulting you,' how can you stand being in here? Everything's so sterile and... white. It smells like death."

"That would be the smell of bleach."

"Death, bleach; same difference," the green haired male argued, taking a seat beside his friend on the small bed.

"No, that would be like comparing an apple to an orange. They're two different things."

"But they're still fruits."

"Yeah, but... wait, are we really gonna argue over this?"

"Well, it's what we do best."

"Come here," Kakashi playfully beckoned, pulling Denji into a headlock.

"Why sir, I believe you are taken, are you not?" the pinned man teased.

"Haha yeah, I am- happily. Besides, we're just brothers from another mother," Kakashi chuckled releasing his grip on the other. "Ugh, I have to get a shot soon."

"Awe, does someone want me to hold their hand?"

"Pwease?"

"Baby," Denji jabbed. "Look on the bright side; you'll be all healed up in like four months tops."

"That's a really long time."

"You know what's a long time?" the green haired man asked. "Two years."

"Great to see your optimism's coming back," Kakashi drawled out sarcastically.

"You're welcome!" Denji said with fake happiness, causing both to laugh.

"Ow, shit! I can't even laugh? What the hell is this?"

"That would be your body telling you it needs to heal. You should listen to it."

"No shit, Sherlock. Ok just don't make me laugh," the pale man warned, clutching his stomach.

"Ok, I won't," Denji replied, putting on a serious face.

"Stop that," Kakashi said beginning to giggle.

"Stop what?"

"That face you're making."

"What face?" the green haired man asked, turning to face the other directly.

"That retarded one."

"Are you calling me retarded?"

"No just the face you're making."

"Shut-up and get some sleep."

* * *

"Iruka," Anko whined tugging on the tanned man's arm. "You have to go!"

"Anko, for the last time I'm not going to go clubbing with you. It's degrading. And I'm already taken!"

"Kurenai and Asuma are going, and they're taken."

"Yea, by each other. So are we gonna spend our time arguing, or will we be enjoying this tea shop?"

"Can't we do both?" Anko asked, earning a deadly glare. "Ok, a compromise. You go for two hours and I leave you alone."

"Only two?"

"Yeppers."

"Ugh... fine, but don't you dare say anything to Kakashi when he comes back."

"My lips are sealed. Hey, why don't you take your waiter friend along?" Anko queried, calling a nearby waitress for another refill of tea. "Ah yes, I would like to try Jasmine this time. Thank-you," she thanked the woman. "Anyways, it seems like it'd loosen him up some."

"No. He might try to make a move on me when he's drunk or something."

"All the better!"

"Anko," Iruka seethed.

"Fine, fine, I'll leave you alone. We'll get ready after I drink this last cup of tea."

* * *

"Tell me again why I'm wearing leather pants," Iruka demanded, taking a seat at the bar stool.

"Quit wining, and stop tugging on them. You look great," Anko answered, taking a seat next to him, ordering two glasses of sake. "Besides, this type of club calls for hot pants."

"Ugh, I feel like a stripper."

"And you look like one too... hey! I'm just saying," Anko giggled, ignoring the tanned man's glare. "Hey where's the bathroom anyways?"

"Come on," Iruka sighed, "I'll take you there."

Iruka walked her over towards the bathroom, the lights of the club flashing down upon him in pulsing bursts. He dodged dancers left and right as he literally dragged the purple haired girl behind him, eager to return to the safety of his bar stool.

"Oh, thanks 'Ruru," Anko thanked, running into the bathroom.

"So hyper," Iruka chuckled, returning to his seat. "Oh, the drinks are out." Iruka took a sip of his sake, almost moaning in relief. "Ah, this is just what I needed."

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Anko apologized.

"It's ok, you didn't stay too long."

"So are you enjoying yourself?"

"The loud, obnoxious music? No. The alcohol? Yes."

"Haha, as stubborn as always," the woman teased. "Hey, that's my favorite song! Come dance with me!" she pleaded.

"When I'm done with this drink, I promise," Iruka reassured.

"Ok, but hurry up!" she demanded, rushing off onto the dance floor.

Iruka watched the girl sway to the music, moving to and fro to the music's beat, as the lights flashed on and off overhead. Iruka turned his attention back towards the last of his sake, and drank the rest.

"Ugh... why is my head starting to hurt? Am I drunk? Can't be... I've only had one drink. Ugh," he groaned, clutching his head. "Anko..." he called out weekly, attempting to find the girl once again."Shit when did everything become blurry, and why is the room spinning...? Anko?"

"Well, well, well," came a deep voice from Iruka's left. "Looks like it worked."

"Who the hell are you?" Iruka asked, eyes squinted in a desperate attempt to make out the shady figure.

"That's not important now. What is important is that I get you back to my place so that we can have a little fun. What do you say?" the voice snickered out.

"I say... ugh..." Iruka moaned, eyes drooping shut. "I say... I say..." He swayed a few more times before collapsing onto the table.

"Is he all right?" the bartender asked from across the counter, busy tending to other customers.

"Oh, yes. He just had a little too much, haha. I'll take good care of him," the mystery man answered, giving the bartender a toothy grin. He looked down at the now passed out man and whispered, "Oh I'll take very good care of you."

(break)

Okie dokie then, I hope you guys review, and please don't kill me XxSesshomaruandRinxX, *hides*


	17. The Savior

I actually wrote this chapter in my physics class, haha, and my teacher saw and then told me about a time he tried to write a story like that -.- He's like a grown kid haha

A heart for you: Haha, that's happened to me before XD

XLightningX: I know! :( Poor Ruru

(break)

"Ugh... Fuck, where the hell am I, and why is everything so bright? Did someone just slam a hammer into my skull?" Iruka asked, voice weary.

"Looks like my little beauty is awake," stated a rough, husky voice.

Iruka looked up to see a tall and brawny man, with orange hair, and strange facial piercings hovering above him.

"Huh? Who the hell are you calling your little- no. No! Let me go!" Iruka demanded, trying to pull his arms in front of him in defense. "The hell? You tied my wrists to the bed?"

"And your ankles. I had to take some precaution in case you were a fiesty one, and from the looks of it, you are. Don't worry, though, I like them fiesty."

"Fuck you," the tanned man hissed.

"Oh no, my sweet, it is I who'll be doing the fucking," the other man sniggered. Iruka began pulling frantically against the restraints, eyes ablaze with fury, but it was no use- the rope only cut into his flesh, leaving bright red marks in their path. "It's no use, you'll only end up hurting yourself more. Enough of this; you need to be broken."

"Broken?" Iruka repeated, stilling all movement.

The agressor brought a large hand towards the bound man's face and caressed it softly, capturing the tanned man's chin in a firm grasp.

"You'll see soon."

He rose from his seat beside the bedside and placed a hand on his belt.

"Stop... please don't," Iruka begged, eyes beginning to tear as realization hit him. "Don't do this."

"What happened to that attitude of yours?"

"Please, I won't say anything if you let me go," Iruka said desperately.

"Haha, I'm not worried about you saying anything."

"What do you want? Money?"

"You," the man answered plainly, slowly undoing his belt buckle. He dropped his pants and crawled ontop of the tanned man, kissing the side of the honey neck once he was positioned on top of the other. "Such soft skin..."

"Get off you sick bastard!" Iruka yelled, attempting to flail his limbs once again. "Kakashi," he weeped softly.

"Kakashi? Shit, call me whoever you want. I'm still gonna fuck you raw in the end," the man announced, running calloused fingers under Iruka's shirt. He ran his thumb over a pert nipple and pinched harshly, causing the trapped man to cry out. "So responsive. That's how I like them." Iruka turned his head to the side, hiding his tears from the other. "Awe baby, let me see that pretty face of yours," the man said, turning Iruka's face back towards his so that he could lick away the salty tears. "Don't cry, you'll enjoy this." He then began to grind his pelvis into Iruka's hip, groaning slighlty when the other man gasped in surprise. "I told you you'd like it," the man said, reaching a hand down to fondle Iruka through his pants. The trapped man let out a small, strangled sound, and began to cry harder. "You're eager, aren't you? Look, your cock is already beginning to harden."

"I don't want this," Iruka whipsered weakly.

"Oh, but your body does," the man countered, giving the bulge a light squeeze.

"Stop!" Interupted a loud voice. "Back the fuck away!"

"Who the hell is that?" the agressor asked, getting off of Iruka, turning around only to come into direct contact with a fist. He fell to the floor cluthing his jaw as blood began to seep out. "Dumb fuck. Iruka, are you ok?"

"T-Tachibana?" Iruka asked through choked sobs.

"Don't worry, I'm here to get you. I brought the police along."

Genma stepped into the room, fully clad in uniform- a taser in his right hand and an outraged expression on his face.

"Iruka," Genma began, "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I promise I'll make this sick freak wish he had never messed with you." He turned to look at the man on the floor who was currently curled up into a ball. "I'm going to have so much fun doing this. Time for payback you mother fucker," he said, walking towards the body.

"Ouch!" the unknown man suddenly screamed when Genma tasered him in his crothch. "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!"

"Haha, how do you like it now?" Genma asked sadistacally, chuckling when the man began cowering in fear from him.

"Genma," Tachibana growled, "come over here and help Iruka!"

"Right," Genma said, walking over towards Iruka, picking up the key on the night stand and undoing the restraints.

Iruka got up slowly and made his way over towards Tachibana, wrapping his shaking arms around the waiter's waist, bursting out into a full sob.

"Shh," Tachibana comforted, "It's ok. I'm here for you. I swear on my life that I won't let anything like this happen again."

"Nagato Pain," Genam mumbled.

"Huh?" Tachibana asked.

"The man on the floor. His name is Nagato, and he's what you call a serial date raper," Genma replied, face contorted with disgust.

"Iruka," Tachibana said, "look at me." Iruka burried his head further into the male's chest, shaking his head 'no.' "Please, Iruka." Iruka slowy raised his head, staring directly at the blonde man with blood red eyes. "Iruka, do you want to move in with me for a bit... after a little while? I don't want you to feel scared in your own house, but I'm not forcing you to. Only if you want to." Iruka nodded yes and returned his face to the other's chest. Tachibana brought a hand up to the back of the tanned man's head and began stroking him comfortingly. "Iruka, I'm so sorry."

* * *

"Here, I'll get that," Tachibana offered, hastily taking the box that was in Iruka's hand, placing it down on the floor of his house. "Ok let's see... oh! I have the perfect room for you," he announced happily. "Follow me." He picked up the box once more and walked towards Iruka's new room, the tanned man following behind like a lost puppy. "Here you are!" He kicked open the door, and stepped off to the side, allowing the other man to enter first. "Hope you like it."

"It... It's beautiful," Iruka said softly, eyes scanning the room.

There was a large king sized bed in the center, surrounded by four golden poles on each side that held sparkling gold curtains. The sheets were a sleek black, and the pillows- four of them, were black with golden floral patterns embedded into their plush surfaces. To the right of the bed was a large, six drawer dresser, with silver knobs and trimmings. A large, oval mirror was placed delicately in the center, with a deep, emerald green ivy growing in the corner of the dresser top. To the left of the bed was a large, ceiling to floor window, adorned with black, gold and silver laced curtains, that were pulled back so that the sun's rays were able to enter. A walk in closet was located next to the window- it's door slightly ajar. The rug was a light, tannish color, while the walls were an off white. A small black, wooden table was located on the other side of the window with a small, leather, bench-like chair as an accessory.

"Please, make yourself at home. I'll leave you to pack away your belongings. If you need anything at all, I'll be in the kitchen cooking some dinner. How does miso and eggplant soup sound?" Iruka nodded dumbly, eyes still glued to the scene before him. "Haha, good. It'll be ready in about half an hour."

The blonde man left the other alone in the room. Iruka slowly closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to regain focus.

'Man,' the tanned man thought, 'this is something out of a fairytale. I wouldn't mind having a room like this. Ok, now to pack away my stuff.' Iruka hastily packed away his belongings, and took a step back to admire his handiwork. On the top left shelf of the dresser stood a photo of him, Kakashi, and Naruto at a small fair in a nearby town. The rest of the shelves were adorned with personal belongings such as various colognes and lotions. The small table held a neat pile of school papers, while the closet was filled with numerous clothes. 'There, that feels better.'

"Iruka," Tachibana called, "dinner's ready!"

Iruka made his way to the kitchen, and took a seat at the dining table.

"Um, this is where I sit, right?" Iruka asked meekly.

"Haha, relax Iruka. My house is your house, so sit wherever you want," Denji answered, placing a plate of hot soup infront of Iruka, while taking a seat across from the man with his own food.

"I can't thank you enough for this, Tachibana," Iruka thanked. "This means so much."

"Please, Iruka, it's no problem. Now let's enjoy our dinner!"

The two ate their soup, casually catching up on each other's past events since the last time they met.

"So you got promoted?" Iruka asked, eyeing the man curiously.

"Well, it's not exactrly a promotion, since the two things are different, haha. My boss saw me bake a small souflee the other day, and he wanted to taste it, so he did. I thought he'd hate it, but he loved it so much, that he made me make other things for him too. In the end, he told me that he wanted me to be the head pastry chef, so I accepted."

"Wow, that's amazing. I always liked pastries, haha. You must be the best chef in town or something, right? Awe, you're blushing," Iruka teased, chuckling when the blonde man turned even redder.

"I wouldn't say best...," the blushing man trailed off, giving an embarassed chuckle.

"Tachibana, thanks. If I could hug you, I would."

"Iruka, please. You don't have to talk about this if you don't want to. I know what you've been through, and I know that it has been tough for you. I also understand that it will take some time for you to be comfortable with human touch again, so dont worry," Tachibana comforted, offering a small smile. "It's only been a week since the incident, so don't fret."

Iruka nodded once again slightly ashamed that he brought up the subject once more, but relieved that Tachibana understood his feelings.

"Thanks."

The other man gave a toothy grin, and said, "It's Sunday, so why don't you take the day to get used to your temporary home, and get some sleep."

"Right," Iruka agreed, "that sounds nice. What will you do?"

"I'll probably go out for a bit to do some grocery shopping and-" the other began, but stopped when the tanned man flinched slightly. "What's wrong?"

"I... I don't want to be left alone. Remember when you used to spend almost the entire day at my house? The week after the incident, before I moved in? I felt so safe then... but when you had to leave at night, I was so terrified, I couldn't even sleep properly."

"Iruka," Tachibana said, sharing the other's sorrow, "don't worry, I don't have to go anywhere."

"No, no, that's not what I meant! I don't want to keep you from your life, but, um... is it ok if I tag along?"

"Sure!" the blonde exclaimed happily. "It'll be great having you along. Why don't we head out now? Some fresh air would be nice, haha."

"Ok," Iruka confirmed, following the other out the door, slightly nervous.

"Iruka, as long as you stick by me, nothing bad will happen again."

(break)

Awe poor Iruka! :( Please review


	18. The Mistake

Hey guys! This chapter is one of the important ones, like really really really important XD Hope you enjoy!

XxShesshomaruandRinxX: Ah, this chapter might change things around hehe

A heart for you: Your wait is over :)

Deijinn: Awe, I'm sorry. I'll try and have him make another appearance :)

(break)

"Yay, you're finally healed!" Denji exclaimed, patting Kakashi on the back. "I told you you'd make it."

"I've been healed for a day now... you're a little late, haha," the pale man retorted, walking faster to catch up to the green haired male.

"Oh quit bitching and enjoy Koshina Village! Besides, it only took four months to get you fixed, so count yourself lucky."

"Four months is a long time... and you make it sound like I was broken."

"Well if you think about it, you kind of were."

"Fuck you."

"I know you want to," Denji teased, earning a punch. "Ouch! Come on, yikes! I was just joking! You need to bend over, unclench, and let that stick fall out of your ass for heaven's sake. Anyways, we only have seven more months of this hell hole, so how do you want to celebrate?"

"First of all, there's no stick in my ass. Secondly, let's get shit drunk."

"Gasp! I though that was against your morals!"

"And I though you were a man, but it looks like we were both wrong," Kakashi taunted.

"You know what? I should stab you and break you again, but out of the kindness in my heart, I'm just gonna ignore that."

"Oh, thank you kind sir," Kakashi thanked sarcastically, "however may I kiss your ass to make up for this?"

"Your welcome you ungrateful piece of turd. Hey! That looks like a good bar!" Denji shouted, pointing to a local pub. "It looks family owned too."

"The Drunken Crow? What kind of name is that?" Kakashi questioned, eyeing the shack up and down.

"A drunken one? It's actually kind of funny, in a retarded way."

"Just like you?" Kakashi asked, earning a deadly gare. "Kidding."

"Sure you are."

"Eh, whatever suits them. Good enough for me."

"Great! Let's go," Denji commanded, dragging the silver haired man into the small pub.

The small building had a simplistic design, with a wooden bar counter adorned with various alcohols, a couple of leather bar stools, and a few wooden tables positioned ranomly wherever there was free space. They took a seat at the bar counter, and were promptly greeted by the bartender.

"Welcome, my name is Toshiba. What can I start you off with?" the friendly man asked, cleaning a glass in the process.

"Hmm...," Kakashi pondered out loud, "how about two Scotches on the rocks."

"Sure thing, comming right up," the man confirmed, quickly pouring their drinks and serving it to them. "Enjoy!"

Kakashi immediately began drinking, slurping down the liquid hastily, but stopped when his glass was snatched away by a certain green haired menace.

"For fucks sake, Kashi, slow down. We have the rest of the night to drink away. You'll go into a coma if you keep that up," Denji scolded, giving the other male his drink.

"Yes mom, sorry mom," Kakashi teased, receiving a slap on the back of his head for his sarcasm. "Ok, ok, calm down. I was just joking."

"Haha," Denji laughed, taking a long drink form his glass, "I know."

The two downed twelve more glasses of alchohol each, before calling it quits, leaving the small pub on shaky legs.

"Hey, De- uh, whatever your name is, what should we do now?" Kakashi slurred out, swaying from side to side.

"Huh? Oh... uh, um, we should totally just crash."

"Crash? You know what rhymes with that? Dog."

"Dude," Denji hicupped out, "dude, you're totally drunk."

"You are too!" Kakashi countered, lightly shoving the other male. "Let's just find a- what do they call it?"

"A hotel?"

"Yeah, one of those, to crash in."

"Haha, whatever you say."

The two wandered down the street, occasionally bursting out into random laughter, until they finally stood infront of a cheap looking hotel.

"Looks cheap," Kakashi commented, glancing at the oddly shaped building, it's neon sign tattered.

"Well, it's the closest one here so, it'll do," Denji stated, dragging the other into the hotel. He quickly arranged for a ground floor room, and hastily made his way to the vacant room, Kakashi following close behind. "Here it is," the man announced, kicking open the door, closing it when the pale man entered behind him.

"Bed, now," Kakashi demanded, immediately making his way towards the main bedroom and collapsing onto the matress.

"Move your ass over," Denji commanded, rolling onto the bed next to the silver haired man. "There's only one thingy to sleep on."

"A bed?"

"What?"

"Nothing... hey, come over here," Kakashi said, pulling the other into an embrace against his chest. "There, that's better."

"What are you doing?" Denji asked, looking up at the man, whose eyes were currently closed in relaxation.

"I was cold, and you're warm," Kakashi replied bluntly.

"They have blankets here, you know," Denji slurred out, moving closer into the warm body.

"And that's why you're snuggling closer next to me?"

"Well one, I'm drunk, and two, I'm cold too."

"And three?"

"What?"

"You hesitated after you said that you were cold," Kakashi pointed out, moving so that the green haired male was lying on top of him, his head buried in his muscular chest.

"Well... I guess I kinda always found you attractive."

"Really? Well I think you're pretty sexy," Kakashi answered with a soft chuckle.

"You're drunk. You don't know what you're saying."

"So are you," Kakashi retorted. "Besides, they say the truth always... always what? Damnit, I keep loosing my thoughts."

"It's so funny to hear you talk all smart and shit when you're drunk, and then randomly loose your thoughts."

"You do it too. Oh yeah, the truth always comes out when you're drunk," Kakashi finished, grinding his hips up into the other male's, causing Denji to let out a choked moan.

"Kakashi, what the hell, you're... you're..."

"Drunk?" Kakashi asked, rolling his hips into Denji's croth, groaning when the green haired male's face took on a ruby complexion. "We both like eachother, so why not?"

"You're engaged! That's why not!"

"I am?" Kakashi queried, changing the position so that Denji was beneath him, and his arms were pinned above his head. "I don't remember that."

"It's the alcohol. His name was, um, fuck, I forgot his name and... wait, what were we talking about?" Denji asked, thoroughly confused.

"Don't know," Kakashi replied gently nipping at the younger man's neck.

"Mmm... oh. You sure you won't regret this?" Denji asked, allowing the effects of the alcohol to wash over his body.

"Don't think about it too much, ok?"

"Ok," Denji replied quietly, allowing the other man to run his hands across his sensitive body. "Ah," he cried out, arching his back slightly when a pale thumb ran over a pert nipple.

"Someone's excited," Kakashi breathed out, licking along the column of the younger's neck.

"I could say the same for you," Denji countered, lifting his hips so that it brushed against the other's erection. "By the feel of it, you're about ready to burs- ah!" Denji gasped as Kakashi swiflty pulled his shirt up and covered his right bud with his mouth, gently tugging on the piece of flesh with his teeth. "Mmm, more, please."

Kakashi removed his mouth and blew on the rosy bud, watching as the green haired male shivered in delight below him.

"Patience," the pale haired man said, leaning back on his heels to watch the man below him. "It'll be worth it."

"Don't tease," Denji demanded. "Need you now."

"Hmm? I couldn't hear you," Kakashi taunted, undoing the other's jeans and pulling them off, parting the man's creamy legs as he ran his thumb in a circle around the quivering entrance.

"Ah, ngh! Put it in me!"

"As you wish, but there's no lube, so you might want to get these as wet as possible," Kakashi stated, holding up three fingers before Denji's mouth. The man below him eagerly took the digits into his mouth, swiping his tongue across them- sucking as if he were licking a lollipop. "Fuck, De-de, fuckin amazing."

Denji merely smirked at the other's incoherent speech and whispered, "I'm ready."

Kakashi nodded and placed the two fingers at the other's entrance, slowly pushing them past the tight ring of muscle. Once he made it through, he paused, allowing the other to get used to the intrusion.

"Tell me when you want me to move," Kakashi breathed out.

"Now," Denji whined, shifting his hips experimentally in small circles. Kakashi began stretching the other out slowly, making small scissoring motions to prepare him for something much larger. "Ah! Yes! Do that again!"

'Found it," Kakashi chuckled to himself, ramming his fingers into the other's prostate once again. He pulled out, receiving a loud whimper from the man below him, undid is own pants, and aligned himself against the entrance.

"Are you ready?" he asked, eyes overcome with lust, as he gazed down at Denji.

"Yea..." Denji breathed out, blushing from the look the muscular man above him was giving him. "Fuck me."

Kakashi slammed into the other, making sure that his cock brushed against the other's prostate as he did so- hands grasping the feminine hips below him for support.

"Shit, so tight," the pale man groaned out, setting a slow and torturous pace.

"Faster," Denji begged, grasping the other's arms tightly, eyes closed in pure pleasure.

"As you wish," Kakashi purred, as he pulled out slowly and forcefully slammed himself back inside, making the younger cry out and shake in delight.

"Yes, keep going- ah!"

Kakashi smirked as he kept his pace steady, concentrating on hitting the other's pleasure spot- sweat dripping down his face. "Tell me what you want," he grunted out, leaning down to kiss the side of the other's neck.

"I want to..." Denji started, but stopped when he felt a sharp bite. "Ah!"

"You want to what?" Kakashi asked, licking the bite mark, watching it slowly take on a purple hue.

"Cum! I want- need to cum, please!" Denji pleaded, nails digging into the pale flesh.

Kakashi lost all rhythm and began pounding the green haired male frantically, a hot sensation beginning to coil in his stomach.

"Ka-Kakashi!" Denji cried out as he suddenly came, back arched into the other's body, walls clamping down tightly onto the other's member.

Kakashi thrusted a few more times before he was met with his own orgasm, grunting the smaller's name out as he spilled himself inside the other. He collapsed onto the younger man with a satisfied sigh, eyes drifting shut in much needed rest.

"Amazing," he said weakly, nuzzling his head into Denji's neck.

"Huh?" Denji asked, half asleep.

Kakashi chuckled lightly and relied, "Nothing, just get some sleep."

"Ok," Denji said, falling asleep immediately after, beginning to snore softly.

"Haha, so cute," Kakashi mumbled to himself, rolling over and off of the other male, pulling his body against his in a warm embrace. "So fucking cute," he whispered, closing his eyes, drifting asleep.

(break)

Drunken sex anyone?


	19. The Fortune

Thank you guys for making the last chapter my most reviewed! That made me so happy haha, and to Deijinn, I have more Shino!

P.S., if you think chapter 18 was bad, then you're in for a big surprise later :)

xoxShika-chanxox: Yes! I thought you were gone :) Great to have you back, and I'm glad you like my story that much!

Airye: Haha, I won't let anything happen between them :)

A heart for you: Haha, I was wondering how many people predicted that XD

heavensangelQ: I'm sowwy :( I was actually sad after I wrote that chapter

kyuubi9kitsune: I'm glad you like it!

XxSesshomaruandRinxX: Haha, he was bad indeed

lilrocker: I know, I feel bad

Genoveve: Luck is not on Iruka's side this time, and I'm glad you love it :)

XLightningX: You should have seen my face after I wrote it XP lolz

(break)

"Ah," Denji yawned, sitting up in the motel bed, wiping his eyes as sunlight poured into the cramped room. "Ugh, my head hurts like hell. Feels like someone drove a hammer into my head a million times, and then stomped on it with cleats. Hey, Kashi? Kashi! What the hell is wrong with you? Are you sick?" the green haired man asked is friend frantically, turning to look at him.

Kakashi rose his head from it's position in his hands and looked at the other, eyes a blood-shot red; face paler than normal.

"I woke up at one and never fell back asleep," he stated in a monotone voice, eyes unemotional.

"So you stayed up for seven hours? You know we have to be back at the ship in like five hours, right? Did my snoring wake you?"

"You... you don't remember what happened?" Kakashi asked, confusion evident in his voice.

"Am I supposed to remember something? Oh my, don't tell me I tried to fight someone," Denji chuckled out. "Um, you aren't laughing... or smiling at all for that matter. Dude, seriously, what happened and- wait! Where are my pants?" Kakashi just kept staring at him, unable to say a single word. "Kakashi you're freaking me out. What happened?"

Kakashi let out a soft sigh and whispered, "We fucked."

"Huh?" Denji asked. "Do you mean we fucked up and did something stupid?"

"No. Sex, I mean sex."

"What?" the green haired male exclaimed, eyes wide with shock. "How, why...?"

"I don't know myself. We drank last night, a little too much, and the alcohol just took over and... dear Lord, what about Iruka?" Kakashi questioned, burying his head in his hands once again. "I can't go back and face him after this. I can't lie to him."

"Kakashi please, don't beat yourself up. If anything, this is my fault. I shouldn't have let myself consume so much alcohol. I'm so sorry."

"How is it your fault? It takes two to fuck and- just forget it. I don't want to talk about this anymore. It's making me sick."

"Ok... well, um, I'll just leave you to yourself then. I'll be back on the ship," Denji announced, getting up from the bed, locating his lost pants and putting them back on.

"Wait, don't go. I don't want this to cause us to become distant," Kakashi said, raising his head to offer the other a saddened smile. "I just need to sort things out, ok? Don't blame yourself, please."

"Ok," Denji answered softly, "if you want to talk it out or anything..."

"Yeah, I know, thanks."

"Not to make this awkward or anything, but do you want breakfast? I'm pretty sure this place has one of those little breakfast lounge thingies," Denji said, straightening out his hair while slipping on his shoes.

"No, I don't think my stomach can handle anything right now," Kakashi answered, also dressing himself. "Why don't we just pay and head out?"

"Right," Denji replied, walking towards the door, Kakashi following beind silently.

The two walked down the hotel, the scent of chlorine swarming inside their nostrils, as the memory of their past event swarmed their mind. They payed the hotel clerk, and promptly left, an air of slight awkwardness around them.

"So, as of now it's three ours and thirty minutes left?" Kakashi asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Denji answered, walking along the paved streets of the village, not fully knowing where he was going. "Is there anything you want to do in particular?"

"Uh... how about we visit the local weapons shop?" Kakashi offered, glancing meekly at the other.

"A weapons shop?" Denji exclaimed in pure surprise. "Of all the places to go, Mr. Kills-a-lot has to choose something violent," he quietly chuckled, rolling his eyes in an attempt to get a smile out of the pale man.

"Yeah..." Kakashi replied, still mulling over what happened earlier; completely unaware of the other's attempt to cheer him up. He snapped back to focus when he received an awkward stare from Denji, as if the other was questioning whether or not he was all right. "I mean, you can't blame my natural curiosity for weapons, can you?" the silver haired man hastily responded, desperately trying to ease the tension around them. "I mean, what's better than swords and guns?"

"Hmmm, let me think, I don't know... maybe a park? That only seems normal," Denji replied, with an almost forced laugh, stopping in the middle of his trail.

"Hey, why'd you stop?" Kakashi asked, almost colliding into the man in front of him.

"I have no clue where I'm going."

"And here I thought you always had a built in compas."

"I'm not God, Kakashi, cut me some slack, yikes," Denji said, glancing around the island. "Besides, we're not lost; I can see the ship over there. I just don't know where the stupid shop thingy is. Wait, do they even have one?"

"A shop thingy?" the pale man questioned. "It's called a weaponry shop, and of course they do. I saw a sign earlier that advertised it.

"Well if you saw the sign, then why didn't you remember where it was?"

"Because... because- oh shut up and just start walking," Kakashi commanded, attempting to push away all of the negative thoughts of the morning's events.

* * *

"Huh? Shino? What are you doing here?" Iruka asked, watching as the pale teen made his way into the classroom. "Don't you want lunch or something?"

"No thanks, sensei, I actually came to discuss something rather odd with you. Please do not think of me as odd, but I do believe that something bad will happen to you," the young man stated bluntly, pulling up a chair and taking a seat in front of the teacher's desk.

"What are you talking about?" Iruka asked, putting down his sandwich, giving the boy his full attention.

"Well, in a nutshell, my family has been breeding bugs for years, as you know. Well we managed to develop a sort of vague fortune telling species, named the Mokushu Beetle. The way they predict the future is via death, that is when one dies, something horrible is destined to happen to someone close in your life, or to something you cherish deeply. Well mine died yesterday, so obviously, someone I know will experience great grief. The sad part was that I did not know who, or what the source of the misery was. Last night, I had a dream that you were sitting among shattered pieces of glass, crying uncontrollably. I put one and one together, and came to the conclusion that something terrible will soon happen to you. Forgive me for my rather abrupt presentation."

"What?" Iruka asked after a moment of silence, eyes scanning the young boy over for any hint of deceit. "Why... why isn't that a little too sudden? That's jumping to an awfully quick conclusion."

Shino sighed softly and reached for his dark shades, taking them off to reveal a pair of apathetic, amber eyes- the action causing the school teacher to loose track of thought at their sheer beauty.

"Iruka sensei," Shino began, his gaze not leaving Iruka's, "I almost never take off my glasses, so please hear me out. I will soon repeat what I have just told you, and I want you to scan my face, eyes and all, for any sign of a lie. Are you ready?" Iruka nodded dumbfoundedly. "Ok. Due to the recent death of my Mokushu Beetle and my past dream, I have concluded hat something grave will occur to you."

Iruka quickly searched the boys face, eyes darting back and forth between the other's eyes and mouth, watching for the hint of a smirk, or the flicker or humor within those amber orbs. He found nothing.

"I believe you," he said softy, lowering his head slightly. "I just don't have the slightest clue of what it could mean."

"I'm not sure if this will help, but in the past instances of this occurring, it usually meant that someone was about to die."

"D-die?" Iruka repeated in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, sensei, but yes. The Mokushu Beetle's death has always been associated with the death of another or something dear to you, and the exact time occurs within a year of the news. May I ask how long until Kakashi san returns from war?"

"Seven months," Iruka answered quietly.

"I see. Please do not become alarmed, for it may not be him, but I do want to warn you to be prepared for the worst. Please promise me that, sensei. I've seen this happen countless times before- even to my father when my mother died. They all knew that it was bound to happen, but it never registered properly to them- they were never prepared, so when the time came, it struck them hard. I don't want to see this happen to you... not if I can prevent it, so please be careful."

"I will," Iruka whispered, not sure what else to say.

The young boy nodded and glanced at the clock.

"Two minutes until the bell rings. I should be off to my class," he mumbled to himself. "I'll see you tomorrow, Iruka sensei," Shino said, getting up and exiting the room, leaving a baffled man behind.

"Yeah... see you tomorrow."

* * *

"Ugh" Iruka deadpanned, closing the door behind him as he entered his house, immediately throwing himself down onto his couch. "Today was... was a bitch. Why does everything happen to me? No. I need to have a positive outlook on this. If I think negative thoughts, then they will come true."

_Knock-knock-knock._

"Hey," a loud voice called from behind the door. "It's Kurenai. Can I come in?"

'Kurenai?' Iruka thought in disbeief. 'It's not everyday that she comes over.'

"Yeah," Iruka called back, getting up to unlock the door. "Be right there." He opened the door and greeted the young woman. "Hey, what's up? Come in, come in."

She entered and took a seat on the living room couch, Iruka following her and sitting beside her.

"Iruka... how are you?" she suddenly asked after science.

"Me? I'm great. I... oh, about that, right?" The red-eyed girl nodded gently. "Kurenai, it's been a few months. I put all of that behind me, so it's ok."

"Iruka!" she yelled, startling the man. "No one can just force themself to forget about something like... like that."

"Kurenai, please cam down. It's called forced repression, and it's working. Please, take it easy," Iruka comforted, patting the other's back soothingly.

"I'm sorry, I just- I shouldn't have left you alone with Anko. You know what? Whenever she wants to take you somewhere, call me, and I'll tag along, ok? I won't here no for an answer."

Iruka laughed at Kurenai's protected behavior.

"Kurenai, it's ok. It's not Anko's fault. I should have been more careful, that's all."

"Iruka," Kurenai warned, "I told you that I wouldn't take no for an answer. So what's your answer?"

"Do I have a choice?" the tanned man teased.

"Oh, right, you don't haha," the black haired woman chuckled out.

"I promise, Kurenai. I have to admit though, it was kind of random seeing you today, haha."

"Wel I actually wanted to talk to you for a while, but I didn't know how to approach you," she admitted shamefully.

"Well I'm gad you came. It gives us some time to catch up. Would you like some tea?"

"Yeah, that sounds nice."

(break)

Well, there's some awkward tension going on here hehe *sweat drop* hope you enjoyed!


	20. The Last Month

Hey folks! This break was just what I needed to get this story going. I've made a roughdraft of how I want this to go, but it's not concrete, so feel free to make any character requests or stuff like that :) enjoy!

maethebellydancer: Haha, here you go! *gives you a steaming bowl of chapter 20*

A heart for you: Kakashi should be more careful, and as for Iruka, my mouth is sealed XP

xoxShika-chanxox: Don't worry, I was laughing at their awkwardness too lol, and with Iruka, that's top secret hush hush info :)

(break)

"All right class," Kakashi began with a proud tone, "I just wanted to call one last meeting so that Mr.- I mean Hachiku, and I, can thank you properly."

Upon hearing his name, Hachiku stood up from his seat at the front of the class and walked towards the center, standing besides the silver haired man.

"Class," Hachiku addressed in an assertive voice, "I am proud to call you Weaponry Specialists. Your brave work in our infiltrations of enemy ships, and even the holding back of our foes at the surprise attack, was remarkable. Kakashi and I are both proud to be called your mentors."

"You all displayed a great talent in learning the various skills associated with combat, defense, and infiltration, in a short amount of time," Kakashi chimed in, "which is extremely amazing."

"Precisely," Hachiku began again. "Your medals will be awarded to you the night before our arrival home, so until then, I want you all to relax and enjoy the ride back," he finished with a smile, walking towards the door. "Good job- all of you," he praised one final time, before exiting.

"Kakashi sensei!" Yoko cried out, eyes brimming with tears, "this isn't fair! You're my favorite teacher ever!"

"Yeah, sir," a young boy with spiky, red hair agreed. "You're the coolest."

"And a total bad ass," another piped in.

"And a great opponent," Sai said, smirking slightly to himself, the whole class agreeing in unison.

"Come on you guys," Kakashi chuckled out, "enough with the mushy stuff."

"Hey, are you crying?" Yoko asked, pointing at a lone tear that escaped the pale man's eye. "You are!"

"What? I'm not crying," Kakashi defended hastily, shutting his eyes tightly before reopening them, "I'm just allergic to the material my mask is made out of?"

"Sure you are," a blonde woman teased. "It's ok to cry, you know. It won't make us think any less of you, only more."

Kakashi smiled softly and let another tear cascade down his face.

"You know I'll miss you all, right?" Kakashi questioned quietly.

"Especially me, right sir?" Yoko asked eagerly, eyes lit up in anticipation.

"Haha, well I'm not allowed to have favorites, remember?" Kakashi answered, discreetly winking at the young girl while shaking his head 'yes,' causing Yoko to squeal quietly in delight. He chuckled silently before returning to his speech. "Anyways, as Hachiku stated before, I am truly proud to call you my students. Congratulations once again. Class dismissed!" He announced with a cheerful smile as all the students rushed towards him to shake his hand and properly say farewell. Once the room was empty, he glanced around one final time, before grabbing his bag. "Hm, if someone told me I would soon wish that I could go back to the beginning of teaching these kids- well to the beginning of this war, I would never believe them in a million years. I'll miss those brats," he said, smiling to himself, a wave of nostalgia washing over him. He turned to exit the room, but soon ran into a familir figure. "Ow," he whined softly, rubbing his nose.

"I'm so sorry," apologized the other man, rubbing his nose too, but immediately stopped once he reaized who it was he collided with. "Well, well, well, if it isn't my eternal rival, Kakashi!"

"G-Gai?" Kakashi stuttered in disbelief. "Uh... wow, it's great to see you," he greeted, with a feigned smile.

"Ahahaha! My youthful friend, I never knew you were on this ship! How did you manage to avoid me all this time?" the loud man asked, bushy eyebrows burrowed in deep thought.

"Well, I-" Kakashi began, but was soon interrupted when he was pulled away from Gai by another figure.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I need Mr. Pale over here. It's urgent," the man stated, walking out of the door and down the hall with Kakashi following behind him, leaving a baffled Gai behind. The two turned a corner and stopped when the annoying man was out of sight. "Good."

"How do you time these things so perfectly, De-de?" Kakashi asked, chuckling at the situation.

"Please, like I needed timing. First of all, I'm just a natural, and secondly, that man can talk loud. Like louder than... than, well you know what I mean," Denji replied, waving his arms around as a visual of the magnitude of Gai's voice. "Fuck man, I thought my ears would start bleeding! You could hear him a mile away!"

"Haha, that's Gai for you, loud as ever. Thanks again for saving me," Kakashi thanked, patting the other on the shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah, you still owe me, haha."

"Great to see you still haven't changed, you demanding little garden gnome," Kakashi teased.

"Hey! Just because my hair is green and I'm shorter than you, doesn't mean I'm a gnome, you ass wipe. Anyways, I was originally gonna drop by to tell you how excited I am to be back home in a month."

"Me too... well kind of," Kakashi sighed out, leaning back against the wall of the hallway, the other male joining him.

"Why no- oh yeah... that..." Denji whispered, lowering his head slightly.

"Hey, what did I tell you about doing that?" Kakashi warned, lightly punching the other on the shoulder. "I'll get there when I get there, ok? I just have to figure out what to say to him... what the best course of action is, so cheer up."

'If only it were that easy,' Kakashi thought to himself gloomily. 'I just can't approach Iruka and just say 'hey, I fucked my best friend, but that's ok because I was drunk.' It just doesn't work like that. Ugh... I'll think of something.'

"Yeah," Denji answered meekly, shaking his head furiously in an attempt to regain his positive disposition. "You know who I'll miss?" he queried, a smile plastered firmly on his face once again. "Those tech people. We did some crazy shit in there. Let me tell you, alcohol, coffee, and lava lamps don't mix well, hahah."

"Bi-polar, aren't we?" Kakashi snickered, receiving a slap from the other. "Ouch, you big bully. You know, I would have never suspected a couple of nerds to do crazy stuff like that. I can't even imagine that... well for you I can, but not those other glasses wearing, pocket protector loving weirdos."

"Yeah well I can't imagine you... doing something smart?"

"A little rusty there, are we?"

"Oh shut it, you Swedish dildo licker," Denji sniggered out, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the wall in relaxation. "Feels good to finally be able to relax."

"Yeah," Kakashi agreed, closing his eyes too. "Feels like a shit load of bricks were just listed off of my chest."

'Yeah,' Kakashi thought in slight grief, 'but the thought of going home to face Iruka just added a million more.'

* * *

"Iruka sensei, thanks for taking me out for ramen!" Naruto thanked, happily spinning around on his stool as he waited for his food to arrive.

"Haha, no problem. What is Sasuke doing though?" Iruka wondered, hoping that the angsty teenager wouldn't kill him for stealing his beloved blonde away.

"Sasuke? I told him that this would give him a good chance to spend time with Sango and get to know her better. Since Mr. Emo-puffs is practically family, he needs to start acting better towards other members."

"Wow, you have him whipped," Iruka commented, immediately covering his mouth when he realized he had stated that out loud. "Oh my gosh, I didn't meant to say that out loud. It's not anything bad but-"

"Iruka, calm down," Naruto giggled out. "Sasuke actually told me that the other day."

"Here are your bowls of ramen, gentlemen," the waiter announced, placing a steaming bowl in front of both Iruka and Naruto. "Enjoy you two!"

"Yum! This looks so amazing!" Naruto exclaimed, his blue eyes shimmering in glee.

"Haha, just remeber Naruto, your limit is five bowls," the tanned man warned playfully.

"Awe, only five?" the blonde whined, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Do I look like I'm made out of money?" Iruka asked jokingly.

"Meanie," the boy mutterd, sulking quietly, eyes lowered towards the ground.

"If you keep that up, you'll turn into Sasuke," Iruka bantered, earning a glare from ocean-blue eyes. "Ok, ok, let's just enjoy this food before it gets cold! Ittadakimasu! "

* * *

"I'm so glad Kakashi returns in a month," Iruka stated, laying himself on top of the silk sheets of his bed, stretching his limbs out fully to the side. "It's been so empty in the house without him." Sango soon hopped up next to him and curled herself into his side, letting out a loud yawn before settling back down. "Sango," the tanned man whined, "you know Kashi doesn't like that." The dog looked at him, head cocked to the side, before returning to her original position. "I guess I'll just wash the sheets the day before he returns, haha. You know, now that I think about it, the whole death thing Shino told me can't be true. Kakashi only has a month left, and they're out of enemy territory, so it's highly unlikely that they'll face a possible surprise attack. Maybe it's just some fortune telling fluke or something... but it's still disturbing. Ugh, think positive, Iruka," the man groaned out. "Well with Kakashi back, I'll finally feel complete again. I miss the dumb arguments over which flavor ramen is best, the immature pranks, the way he tucks my hair behind my ears... how his muscles move when he's exercising, the way he moans when I- woah! Mind out of the gutters, mind out of the gutters," Iruka chanted, shaking his head. "Oh, who am I kidding, I did miss the sex too. I should start thinking of a welcome back gift for him, but what? Guys like electronical stuff, right Sango?"

"Arf," the dog replied sleepily, rolling over onto her side.

"Excuse me, miss 'I just lay around all day, but still feel sleepy.' I, on the other hand, actually work," Iruka teased, laughing when the dog stood up, only to place herself half-way on top of the man, head resting on his chest. "Yeah, yeah, I love you too, girl. Back to the gift idea. Maybe electronics isn't the way to go. Didn't he mention something, though? What was it? Oh yeah, that's right! He always wanted a pug! That's what I'll get him as a gift!" Iruka exclaimed, smiling in delight. "And I even have the perfect name- Toto. No... that sounds awkward. How about Keki? No, I don't think cake is a good name. Wow, this is harder than I thought. Think, think, think- yes! Pakkun! That's the perfect name, but the dog'll have to be a boy. Oh well, we'll get there when we get there." Iruka glowed with glee as he went over his new plan for a present once again. "I just hope Kakashi will like his present. If he doesn't, I can always tie a bow around myself and he can unwrap me. Wow, now I'm starting to think like him, although that would make a good Christmas present. Hey Sango, you asleep girl?" The dog replied with a loud snore, causing the tanned man to chuckle quietly. "I'll take that as a yes. Good night pup. One month and your daddy will be home," Iruka yawned sleepily, curling up into the sheets. "One month..."

(break)

Yay! One month to go, and happy late Thanksgiving to you all, hehe *sweatdrop*


	21. The Dreaded Encounter

Hey guys, I wrote most of this in the hospital since I got food poisoning from peanut butter -.- Anyways, enjoy!

A heart for you: Haha I'm sorry, but the next chapter is the most important climatic part! And you're welcome

Shika: Haha I couldn't leave hi out :) And maybe your feelings are right, hehe

(break)

"Iruka," Kurenai called from within the tanned man's living room, "the dog just barfed on the floor."

"Kurenai," Iruka replied, walking towards the woman with a blue collar and leash in his hand, "you can't feed the dog chocolate chip cookies. That's against the law."

"What law?"

Iruka cleaned the mess with the towel, throwing it into the washing machine- returning to sit next to the black haired woman.

"Doggie law," Iruka chuckled out, fastening the accessories around the young dog's neck. "Besides, he's just a pup, so he's not really trained. He's also scared shitless."

"Awe, is the little puppy-wuppy scared?" Kurenai asked, picking up the small pug, cuddling it against her chest.

"Careful there, you might suffocate him to death," Iruka teased, mimicking Kurenai's movements.

"Oh shut it," the woman defended. "You just wish you had these," she said, shaking her breasts.

"Sure I do, boob-arella" Iruka countered, ducking from a slap. "Haha, calm down."

"Anyways," the red-eyed woman began, "does he have a name?"

"Pakkun."

"Pakkun? That's a cute little name for a cute little pug like him."

"Is he sleeping?" Iruka asked, poking the dog's cheek lightly, chuckling when Pakkun answered with a loud snore. "Wow, I guess he does like you. Asuma has some competition, doesn't he?"

"Kakashi rubbed off on you too much. You know that, right?"

"I said the same thing about a month ago, haha," Iruka laughed out, jumping when Sango came rushing towards him, throwing her body onto his lap and curling into a snug ball. "Awe, someone's jealous."

"I don't see why. Now both of you have a little kid you could call your own," Kurenai giggled out.

"Yeah," Iruka sighed, patting Sano on her head, "I just hope Kakashi likes his present."

"If not, you could always tie a bow around yourself and have him unwrap you."

"I said that last month too," Iruka stated, bursting out into laughter.

"No way," the other said in disbelief. "That's crazy. Wait, so is my idea out of the question?"

"Actually, I was saving it for a Christmas present."

"Kakashi's one lucky guy. So are you excited to have him back tomorrow?" Kurenai asked, smirking when Iruka became flustered.

"I don't think words could describe how happy I feel. The students at the academy even made welcome back cards for me to give to him," Iruka added, smiling happily to himself.

"What will you two do first?"

"You already know the answer to that," Iruka hastily replied, face turning a rosy pink.

"Someone won't be able to walk properly for a while," the woman teased, wiping a tear away from her eye.

"Haha, so funny. I was thinking about introducing him to Tachibana after he got settled in, though."

"Are you sure that that's a good idea? Kakashi might get the wrong idea. He is the over-protective type..."

"Kakashi and I have a trusting relationship. We would never do anything that would hurt or severely upset the other," Iruka stated with a bubbly smile.

"He sure is lucky to have you."

* * *

"Yoko Zakari," bellowed Hachiku, watching as the young girl made her way across the stage of the auditorium. "Yoko," he began again, "I am proud to call you an official weapons specialist. Here is your medal."

He placed the medal around the girl's neck and shook her hand, stepping back so that she may shake Kakashi's hand too. Yoko walked up to Kakashi and immediately flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist while breaking out into a full sob.

"Kakashi sensei," she wept, "this is the last day I'll see you."

The rest of the ship's members chuckled warmly at her outburst.

"Yoko," Kakashi soothed, patting the girl's head, "this doesn't mean that it'll be the last time I see you. I actually, by fate, met an old friend of mine on this ship, so the same thing can happen to us. I know I'll see you again in the future, so don't cry, ok?"

"You promise," Yoko asked shyly, glancing up at the older male.

"I promise," Kakashi reassured, smiling fondly at her.

Yoko pulled away, wiping a tear from her eye, and shook the pale man's hand, exiting the stage after she was done.

The commander of the ship, an old, yet muscular man, stepped onto the center of the floor and congratulated everyone one last time for their hard work, before dismissing them. Kakashi left the auditorium, bumping into Denji along the way, who was currently admiring his badge.

"Hey, hey, check it out," the green haired male started, pointing to his new pin. "I'm an official coputer tech- a knowledge specialist."

"So basically, you just graduated from a nerd to a megga geek?" Kakashi bantered.

"You're just jealous of my smarts."

"Sure I am. Hey, why don't we go to the party now? I bet your other dork friends are waiting for you."

* * *

"Long day, long day, long day," Kakashi mindlessly chanted, as he fell into his small bed. "And it doesn't help that Denji didn't let me drink anything... although I should probably be thanking him," he mumbled into his sheets. "Ugh, tomorrow's the day; the day of judgement. I wish I could go back in time and stop myself from ever doing any of that- from being a total dick-wad. At least I know what I'll say, and hopefully, Iruka will understand the entire situation. Please, God, let him understand."

* * *

"Alright," the captain of the ship began over the intercom, "we are almost about to pull into Konaha harbor, so make sure you have all of your belongings for when you depart. That is all."

"I think I have everything..." Kakashi mumbled, glancing at his bag. "Boxers? Yeah. Toothbrush? Yeah."

"A life?" piped in a mysterious voice. "No. Looks like you did forget something."

"If I throw a stick, will you leave?"

"No."

"Haha, what do you plan to do after this, De-de?" Kakashi questioned, sitting on the edge of his bed.

Denji walked towards him and sat next to him, breathing out a sigh of relaxation.

"I plan to continue writing and let life run it's course."

"That doesn't sound exciting at all," Kakashi blatantly stated, crossing his arms across his chest.

"I'm sorry, let me try that again. I'm going to go home and transform into a magical taco that shits ice cream and rainbows. That better for you?" Denji asked teasingly, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"Yes, but let's try it again without the sarcasm. Come to think of it, you're always mean to me," Kakashi whined.

"I'll try being nicer if you try being smarter," the green haired male snickered.

"Ouch," Kakashi chuckled out. "Hey, don't lose contact of me, ok? I can't afford to lose another friend."

"Haha, don't sweat about it. I live in Konaha now, so I'll be able to find you easily. That is, if I'm in the mood."

The pale man punched him, laughing as the other grabbed his arm and winced in pain.

"Ow, you ass-hat, why the fuck did you punch me like that? Fucking shit," the man cursed in agony.

"Think of it as a going away present."

"Kakashi!" bellowed a baritone voice. "My friend, I came to see you one final time before we must depart!"

"Gai?" Kakashi asked, horrified. "Hey... it's great to see you."

"Yes, yes," the brawny man replied, sauntering over to Kakashi and Denji, standing in front of the two. "And who is your friend here?"

"I'm Denji," the short man introduced, holding out a hand to shake Gai's. "Nice to meet you. You have big eyebrows, you know that?"

"Denji!" Kakashi scolded instantly.

"No, it's quite ok my friend. He has a very inquisitive personality. I like that, haha, and yes, I've been told that a lot of times. So Kakashi, I was meaning to ask, where do you live? I live in Konaha, so I was hoping you might live close by."

"Um, I live in, uh, Osuva," the silver haired man lied.

"Osuva? I've never heard of it," Gai replied. "Is it close by?"

"Well actually," Denji began, but was soon interrupted by a woman's voice.

"Gai, get your ass back here. We need your help over here," the female voice demanded.

"Hmmm, must be important for Koshina to be acting so violent. Well, I guess I won't be seeing you again, so goodbye my rival," Gai said, patting Kakashi on the back. "And goodbye Denji," he added, exiting the room.

"You're a bitch," Kakashi stated, once Gai was out of sight.

"What ever do you mean?" Denji asked innocently.

"You were going to rat me out."

"Me? Couldn't be, then who? Yeah, I was, haha. You should have seen the look on your face, though."

"Read between the lines," Kakashi seethed, holding up his pointer, middle, and ring finger up to Denji, the fingers side by side.

"I don't get it- oh! It means fuck you, haha. Hey, wait! That's not cool!"

* * *

"The ship has anchored, it is safe to leave. Please exit in an orderly manner," the captain announced on the speaker. "Thank you once again for your service."

"That guy sounds like he's about to die," Denji stated, dragging his suitcase across the ship's deck behind him.

"That's a mean thing to say," Kakashi scolded, laughing when the other became stuck at a set of stair steps. "How the hell did you bring that thing on anyways?"

"Actually, it was a lot smaller than this, but I picked up a lot of souvenirs, so yeah, haha. Hey, you don't have to take it, you have a bag of your own."

"Too late," Kakashi replied, swinging the suitcase behind his back with ease, ascending the stair steps. "You coming?"

"Yeah, yeah," Denji muttered, following behind with a sulk on his face.

The two reached the top and made their way to the ramp, pushing past various other members in the process.

"You there, De-de?" Kakashi called, glancing behind his shoulder, as he made his way towards the exit.

"Yeah, right behind you," Denji answered, one hand on the suitcase currently across Kakashi's back so that he would not lose the other in the crowd.

"Ah, fresh Konaha air," Kakashi sighed in relief, stepping into the bright sunshine. "Feels so good to be back on home land again.

"It does, but..."

"I know," Kakashi replied, mood immediately changing from joyful to depressed.

'I have to face him,' the pale man thought, nervously searching the crowd for the tanned man. 'Brown ponytail, brown ponytail,' Kakashi reiterated in his mind, eyes darting quickly across the crowd of eager faces. His body suddenly froze when his eyes locked gazes with familiar chocolate ones, but quickly managed to recompose himself, not showing any hint of fear or dismay on his face. 'Iruka, I'm so so sorry. Please forgive me for this.'

* * *

(break)

Cue dramatic music! This is the moment of truth, so what will Kakashi say. Read to find out in the next chapter :)


	22. The Moment of Truth

Dun, dun, dun (dramatic music!) This is it, the show down! It's the ultimate battle... er confrontation hehe. Who knows what will happen? cough-except for me-cough. Enjoy :)

IDK: Haha, I just love playing up the suspense

XLightningX: It's all yours :) Enjoy!

XxSesshomaruandRinxX: Haha, I love to keep my readers guessing

A heart for you: you're welcome, and I think I do XD I might need to go to rehab for cliffhangers lol

CoriGray333 : Yeah, my mom freaked out, but I think she forgot now haha. And if she didn't, she's good at playing things off XP

xoxShika-chanxox: Thanks :) I do, and I'm glad you like!

(break)

"Kakashi!" Iruka exclaimed, wrapping his arms around the older male, tears brimming in his eyes. "'Kashi, it's so good to have you back. You have no idea how much I've missed you!"

The pale man wrapped his arms around the other hesitantly, pulling him into an embrace.

"I've... missed you too, Iruka."

"Is something wrong?" the tanned man asked, glancing up at the other with troubled eyes, arms still wrapped around the toned waist.

"Just tired."

"Oh, well I don't blame you, haha. You haven't changed a bit."

"Yeah... neither have you. Is it possible to get out of the harbor area and go somewhere quiet?"

"Huh? Sure. Here, just follow me," Iruka said, breaking away from Kakashi, a worried look still on his face.

"Thanks."

Iruka was about to begin walking, but was interrupted by a blob of energy.

"Kakashi sensei!" screamed a cheerful voice. "Kakashi sensei! Look how tall I've grown! Do you see? I've been training like crazy and now I can beat you!"

"Haha," Kakashi chuckled softly, "it's good to see you too, Naruto. Hey Sasuke."

"Welcome back," Sasuke said, extending his hand to shake the other's.

"It's good to be back," Kakashi stated, ruffling the blonde's hair.

"We shouldn't take up you time," Sasuke began. "Other people want to welcome you back too." He pointed behind him, revealing a crowd of citizens walking towards them. "Come on Naruto, we can talk to him later."

"Sasuke," Naruto whined. "You always ruin the fun!"

"If you want to have some fun, we could always go back to our place," Sasuke said with a smirk, dragging the blonde boy behind him. "Bye, Kakashi and Iruka sensei," he called out, the two becoming lost in the crowd.

"Good to see they're still together," Kakashi announced, giving a half-hearted laugh.

'Wow,' the silver haired man thought, 'even a teen is more faithful than I am...'

"Kakashi, good to have you back," came a deep voice.

"Yeah, Iruka was so worried, haha. Everyday he would fret about you and-"

"Kurenai!" Iruka scolded in an attempt to keep the woman from saying anything else.

"Kurenai, Asuma," Kakashi greeted, "thanks for coming."

"Wouldn't miss it for anything," Asuma stated cheerfully.

"Yo, Kakashi!" Genma yelled, Raidou, Kotetsu, and Izumo following close behind. "Hey, our drinking buddy is back!"

"Kakashi! We missed you!" Anko piped in, joining the crowd. "Nothing was the same around here, and a lot of shit went down."

"What do you mean?" Kakashi questioned.

"We'll explain later," Kurenai assured, glaring at Anko who merely put her hands up in defense.

"My bad," Anko apologized.

"So how was it?" Kotetsu asked, playfully punching the masked man on his arm.

"Kotetsu!" Izumo scolded. "The man is probably dead tired!"

"It's ok," Kakashi chuckled. "It was fucking random. That's the best way I can describe it."

"Lost some brain cells at sea, did we?" Genma snickered out, receiving a slap on the back of his head from Raidou. "Ow!"

"Still on a leash I see, right?" Kakashi easily countered, smirking when the brown haired man glared at him, hands cradling his hurting head.

"Alright guys," Kurenai began, clasping her hands together, "let's let these two go back home and properly welcome each other back, ne?" She gave her eyebrows a slight wiggle towards the direction of Iruka and Kakashi, receiving a blush from the tanned man and a blank stare from the pale one. "See you guys later," the woman said, the others each saying their goodbyes, leaving Kakashi and Iruka alone once again.

"Ok, back home," Iruka said, tugging the other's arm as he led him through the crowd. They easily maneuvered themselves between the numerous citizens, twisting here and there to avoid being hit, before they reached the familiar paved sidewalks of the town. "Alrighty."

"Yeah..." Kakashi mumbled, mind drifting off.

"Kakashi," Iruka began, turning his head around quickly to look at the other before returning it to it's original position, "you're off today. You've been drifting in and out of reality."

"I have?" Kakashi queried, eyes drifting lower to where his fingers were tangled with delicate tan ones, a nauseous feeling washing over him at the sight.

'Shit, he's still as loving as ever, and I... I... damn! I can't even think!' Kakashi screamed angrily in his mind. 'Fuck, i have to calm down.'

"Yeah, like right now. I've been talking for a while, and I'm pretty sure you have no idea what I said."

'Shit,' the silver haired man said, 'I'm that obvious to him.'

"Uhh... I just have a lot on my mind, that's all."

"What happened?" Iruka asked, turning a sharp corner.

"What happened?" Kakashi repeated like an automatic machine, immediately panicking in an attempt to produce an answer. "I'll tell you later, when we get to our house."

"Ok, but is it something bad? Never mind. Whatever it is, you can trust me, ok? I haven't lost any bit of love I have for you since you left, and I want you to know that I'm here for you and would do anything to put a smile on your face and make you feel better. I'll listen to anything you have to say," the smaller man finished, flashing Kakashi a loving smile.

'Kill me now,' Kakashi groaned to himself. 'I fucked up big time.'

"Thanks... Iruka..."

"Hey, hey!" shouted a familiar voice. "Hey Iruka, how are you?"

"Tachibana?" Iruka called out, smiling from ear to ear. "Tachi, it's great to see you! Come here, I want you to meet someone!"

"Who is it?" the blonde man wondered, approaching Iruka with a slightly confused look on his face.

"This," Iruka started, glancing at Kakashi, "is the man I've been telling you about; Kakashi Hatake."

"Oh my, this is him? Wow, I can see why you like him," Tachibana laughed, shaking the pale man's hand. "Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine," Kakashi responded with a smile.

"Hey Iruka," the waiter began, "did you tell him...?"

"Well, I was going to wait until later, but I'll do it now, since your'e around. Let's go inside the house."

* * *

"What?" Kakashi exclaimed, eyes widening.

"You see, it happened a few months ago. I was out with Anko at a bar, and a man slipped a date rape drug in my drink and he tried to... but he didn't get far, because Tachi found me and rescued me," Iruka whispered, lowering his head slightly in shame. "I managed to cope with it by thinking of you, so please don't fret. No one's to blame for this."

Kakashi said nothing, but only stared at the other with disbelief and rage.

"Kakashi, please do not be too upset. The man is in jail probably wishing he could be dead right now. Genma promised to torture the hell out of him," Tachibana reassured.

Kakashi slowly nodded, opening his mouth to say something, but immediately closing it.

"Kakashi," Iruka whispered, "please say something."

Kakashi turned his attention to him, a pained expression in his eyes and said, "Iruka... I'm so so sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I shouldn't have left you and- fuck! I don't even know what to say. I just feel like punching the shit out of something and killing everyone that's ever touched you! And Anko shouldn't have left you alone! How the hell could she do that!"

"Kakashi, it's understandable, but I'm ok now, ok? And remember, it wasn't anyone's fault, not even Anko's," Iruka soothed, rubbing the other's back in a comforting manner. "I even bought you a small present as a sort of reminder of our bond, haha, as corny as that sounds. I hope you like it though." Iruka gave a short whistle, and rushing in came a small pug, with light brown fur, dark brown ears, and a blue bandana wrapped around his head- falling down a couple of times as he tried to run into the dining room. "Isn't he adorable? Kakashi, I remembered how you always wanted a pug, so I bought you one. His name is Pakkun."

Kakashi stared at the small dog in front of him, then to Iruka, and then back to the young pup.

"'Ruka I... I- I'm so sorry," Kakashi wept out, burying his face in his hands as he broke out into a full sob.

"I should leave," Tachibana whispered, rising from the chair. "I'll be late for my job and I don't want to get chewed out, haha... but it was nice meeting you," he finished, making his way towards the door. "Good-bye," he said, closing the door behind him.

Iruka returned his gaze to Kakashi and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Iruka," Kakashi mumbled into his hands, "I don't know how to explain this to you, but... I got drunk and cheated on you. I just can't keep this a secret anymore. I'm so, so sorry for what I did and I feel like a complete ass for doing such a thing. If I could rewind time, I would and stop myself from making this mistake."

"You what?" Iruka asked in disbelief, shaking his head as he let out a nervous chuckle. "Good one, 'Kashi. Quit joking, haha."

"I wish I was." Iruka closed his mouth slowly and remained eerily silent, staring at the man in front of him with and expressionless face. "'Ruka?"

"And you kept this a secret?" the tanned man questioned quietly, tears beginning to form in his eyes. "What happened to being faithful and loyal... and about telling each other everything? And before you even mention anything, I waited until you returned from war to tell you about the incident so that you wouldn't be depressed and eventually end up getting yourself killed... but apparently, all of that didn't matter."

"Iruka, what do you want me to do?" Kakashi asked loudly, raising his head from his hands. "I said I was sorry and-"

"Kakashi," Iruka replied calmly, stifling back a barrage of tears, "sorry doesn't fix this. This isn't like braking an expensive vase or anything. Dear Lord, Shino was right. Something very dear to me did die just now... our relationship."

"'Ruka, what are you talking about?" Kakashi whispered, his heart feeling as if it would rip in two from all of the anxiety.

"Kakashi... I'm leaving. I need some time to sort things out and- I'll take Sango with me," Iruka said, slowly getting up from the table, tears finally falling from his eyes.

"No, Iruka, please don't," Kakashi begged, staring at the other in grief.

"I- I'll t-take Sango with m-me now and I'll g-get my stuff later. I'll stay a-at Tachi's," Iruka stated, finally letting his sorrow brake free of it's barrier- choking over his own words. "Good-bye."

He walked towards the front door, calling Sango to follow, and left without another word, leaving behind a lonely and heart-broken man.

"What the hell made me think that he would understand?" Kakashi roared in outrage, slamming his fist against the table, scaring Pakkun in the process. "Damn it all! He left! He left... he left," Kakashi repeated in disbelief, tears beginning to fall once again. "He's really gone... the best thing that has ever happened to me is... gone."

(break)

Poor 'Ruru :( Two words, "Don't cheat" Well it can't get worse from here... or can it? Read and find out!


	23. The Multiple Persuasions

Here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy!

Kick-Aft: Lol moral of the day XD  
Chi-baka: I actually acted this out with a friend, and she mad Iruka go crazy mad, so I had o mellow him down a lot, but not to the point where he would just forgive Kakashi easily, and I figured Anko would do that XD haha  
A heart for you: You're welcome haha and we'll just have to see ^.^ *mouth sealed*  
CoriGray333: Awe, I'm glad you like it :)  
Airye: Haha oh my gosh thank you *embarrassed* And don't worry, Iruka won't become OCC  
Haru: No one like a cheater haha and he'll definitely feel guilty  
Hacaili: Haha I'll try my best to make a good chapter for Christmas :)

_(break)_

_"Kakashi," Iruka moaned wantonly, a deep blush spread across his face as he stared at the man hovering above him, "please, I want you inside me, badly."_

_Kakashi gulped, almost loosing all control at the sight of the tanned man before him- his brown hair framing his delicate face, his chest rising up and down slowly with every breath, his flush lips parted slightly in a silent moan._

_"Iruka..." the pale man breathed out, slowly pushing into the younger man beneath him, eliciting a cry of pleasure out of plump, delicious lips._

_"Ah! Kakashi!" Iruka called out, back arching against the other as his fingers dug themselves into pale flesh. _

_Kakashi lowered his head towards his love's neck and gently bit down on a sensitive spot, causing the tanned man to whimper in delight._

_"Are you ready?" Kakashi asked, nuzzling the slender neck._

_"Yeah..." Iruka breathed out, mind almost drifting out of consciousness. _

_Kakashi began rocking his hips slowly into the other's warmth, relishing the feeling of the tight heat that was surrounding his aching need, grasping a small hip with one hand while he braced himself up with the other._

_"So fucking good, 'Ruru," he groaned out, eyes half lidded with lust._

_"'Kashi, faster," Iruka panted out._

_Kakashi nooded and began speeding his pace up, to the point where he was forcefully slamming himself into the smaller body beow him._

_"Fuck" he grunted, throwing his head back as a string of curses escaped his mouth._

_"K-Kakashi, I'm gonna..." Iruka moaned out, fingers releasing their grip on pale flesh, only to entangle themselves into the silk sheets below. "Kakashi!"_

Kakashi immediately sat up in his bed.

"Iruka?" he called out, glancing towards the left side of his bed, finding the space beside him empty. "It... it was just a dream." He looked at the clock. "Shit, it's still two am. I don't even feel like going back to bed after that episode."

"Ruff!" came a tiny voice, resembling the squeaking of a mouse.

"Pakkun?" Kakashi called out, chuckling softly when he saw the young pup staring at him on the ground. "How did you manage to fall off of the bed? I gave you more than enough room to sleep, haha. Come here." He picked Pakkun up and placed the dog on his lap, wincing when the dog's foot prodded against a sensitive area. "Damn, looks like that dream gave me more than a scare. Ok, gross thoughts, gross thoughts... um, Gai in a bikini? That's better." he placed the dog in his lap once again, and laughed when the bandanna wearing animal looked at him with confused eyes. "I'll explain to you when you're older," the silver haired male teased, ruffling the fur on the dog's head. "I wonder how Iruka's doing..."

* * *

"Thanks again, Tachibana, for letting me and Sango stay here," Iruka thanked for the thousandth time.

"Iruka, I told you that you can stop, haha. You know you're like a brother to me, and you already know I adore Sango, right girl?" The dog gave a happy bark and returned to exploring the new house, sniffing in between every nook and cranny. "I'm guessing that's a yes."

"Yeah..."

"Iruka, would you like to talk some more?" the blonde asked worriedly.

"No, I spent the last few hours doing that, and I think I just need a break... Oh who am I kidding? It's just that when I was with my parents for those few years before they died, they raised me to be a good and honest person. I honestly used to play pranks from dusk until dawn, wrecking everything in sight, but one day they sat me down and had a stern talk with me. They explained the positive aspects of virtue and of an overall good character. They also explained how honesty and faithfulness is the key to happiness; the reason as to why they were able to stay together for so long. I guess I was so inspired by them and their story that I began to heed to their rules. When they died I began living by those rules as if they were engraved into my heart and soul." Iruka whispered, with a sad, longing smile on his face. "Having all of these morals suddenly broken in front of me was too much to handle."

"I see," Tachibana said, folding his arms across his chest, "and how does that make you feel?"

"...What?"

"I saw this on T.V. before, so it has to work," the waiter explained, leaning back into his couch. "How does all of this make you feel? Can you describe the rush of emotions?"

"Well I feel hurt, confusion, rage and- and- Tachi, stop making that face!" Iruka demanded, covering his mouth in an attempt to hold back a laugh.

"What face? This is the face I make when I'm thinking!" Tahibana responded, screwing up his face once more.

"Haha, quit it!" Iruka exclaimed, burtsing out into a fit of giggles, falling onto his side in the sofa.

"Well I wasn't quite going for laughter, but that works too. I'm glad to be of help. Doctor Tachibana has worked a miracle once again."

"Doctor my ass. Anyways, I think I need some sleep. All of this drama has made me tired."

"Wait, before you go, tell me one thing. Do you think Kakashi san still has feelings of love for you?" Tachibana asked, eyeing the other with a serious look.

"Feelings? I don't know... I think maybe, but then again I-"

"Iruka, he was distressed before I left- honestly sorry. That was definitely not a false act. Before you decide your course of action towards all of this, I just want you to realize that the man still cares deeply about you, and that he's probably at home worried about you, ok? Please don't be too harsh towards him. I'd hate to see such a wonderful couple fall apart."

"Tachi I-"

"Iruka, please," the blonde pleaded desperately, "just try and consider it."

* * *

"Welcome home!" Tachibana greeted happily, waving at the tanned man from inside the kitchen. "How was your day?"

"Wow, you're awfully happy today. Hmm let's see, it's Monday so could it be that you got a raise? No too soon... nope, I got nothing," Iruka chuckled, placing his small bag on the floor by the door. "Well the kids kept bugging me today as to why Kakashi looked sad and I didn't want to explain everything to them, so I told them that it was a family affair. Naruto saw right through me, though, and he and Sasuke paid me a visit after school and kept prodding and prodding until I finally told them everything," the teacher finished, plopping himself onto the living room sofa.

"And what did they say?" Tachibana queried, balancing two bowls of steaming soup skilfully in his hands as he entered the living room, giving one to Iruka while taking the other and seating himself in a chair opposite the other.

"Well, they told me that deep down Kakashi is an amazing person, even though he fucked up big time, and that he cares deeply about me," Iruka sighed out. "Naruto also told me that Kakashi was so depressed that he didn't even train them properly at the dojo. He just made them do push ups and sit ups until it was time to go."

"You should visit him," the blonde stated blatantly, causing the other to almost choke on his soup. "I'm just saying, it'll do the man some good. Maybe you two could actually talk things out? And you could prevent him from going suicidal too."

"I don't think he'd go suicidal," Iruka responded.

"Have you seen the man's face recently? Try to imagine a kicked puppy combined with the news that "your parents died trying to drive to see your concert," with a sprinkle of "you have cancer," and a dash of "I hate you," and you have his face."

"Ouch... but I can't just drop by and- woah, woah, woah! You never told me why you were happy."

"Oh, I ran into Denji today at the supermarket," Tachibana exclaimed with a big, goofy smile. "I worked up the nerve to introduce myself, even though I stuttered a lot and sounded like a complete idiot. He told me that he thought that my actions were cute and wanted to know if I would like to go to the park with him sometime. I actually began choking on air at that moment, but I think he took that as a yes, 'cause he laughed and walked out of the store waving goodbye, with a smile on his face."

"You're such a dork, you know that," the tanned man bantered.

"Yeah, but enough about changing topics," Tachibana began, steering the conversation back on track, "about you and Kakashi..."

"Tachibana, it's only been a day since the incident, and I think it'd be best if a little time passed for things to cool down. I'll eventually confront him, though."

"You know, Kurenai and Anko figured things out, but not the rest of the group. They're both furious at Kakashi, but still believe that you two should talk things out."

"I know," Iruka breathed out, collecting the dishes while standing up to go and wash them, "I know."

* * *

"Sensei!" Naruto screamed, startling Kakashi, "get your ass out of the dojo and go apologize to Iruka sensei!"

"Naruto," Kakashi said calmly, "I'm cleaning up. Secondly, how do you know about this?"

"Duh," Naruto drawled out, "gay people have this sixth sense or something for this kind of stuff. Sasuke knows too, but he figured it out on his own. So when are you going to apologize?"

"Eventually," Kakashi answered, trying to restrain his conflicting emotions. "I think some time has to pass before I can talk to him without him trying to kill me," Kakashi finished, brushing off some dust from the equipment rack.

"You know, even though you did screw up big time, like solar system big, I still believe you're a good person at heart."

"Thanks Naruto," the pale man thanked, unsure of whether or not that was truly a compliment, "I think."

"A good person who made a dumb mistake," the blonde said, offering a soothing smile, trying to coax the other into smiling as well.

"Haha," Kakashi chuckled quietly, smiling ever so slightly. "I just hope he'll at least here my full side of the story."

"Trust me sensei, Iruka is extremely stubborn and furious in the first stages of his anger, but once he passes those, he'll mellow out and become open to reasoning."

"You're awfully wise for such a young person," the silver haired man commented, walking towards the doors, the blonde following close behind.

"Wise?" Naruto repeated, watching the other lock the bolts on the building. "Nah, it's just experience."

"Experience?"

"Yeah, you see, I used to live with Iruka sensei when I was way younger. He took me in and became a father to me. I moved out when I was old enough though, and then I ended up moving in with Sasuke. But when I was with sensei- man, he would never let a prank go unpunished. I remember one time, I drew graffiti on a statue, and he made me clean it up with nothing but a wash rag and some soapy water. He even refused to here my apologies!"

"That does sound like him," Kakashi whispered, turning a street corner as he continued walking towards his house. "I just hope Iruka simmers down by the time I approach him..."

(break)

Wow, a lot of persuading going on here, but will Iruka and Kakashi listen?


	24. The Confrontation

Well the last chapter is here *begins crying*

Anyways, I actually wanted to explain my idea for this story. About two-three years ago, a boyfriend of mine got drunk and cheated at a party. A few days later, he eventually cracked under the pressure and told me, and I broke it off with him. He tried apologizing, but I told him never to speak to me again. He moved to another school for a year, got a girlfriend but broke up with her, and ended up returning back to mine. Well a few friends of mine wanted us to get back together since they thought he was a really good guy who just made a dumb mistake, and they finally forced him to talk to me two moths later. He said he was sorry and that everyday without me was hell, and gave me a ring (a really expensive one at that), but I was still mad and gave him back the ring. Thanks to the threats of a certain friend, we started talking, but to this day, I still haven't forgiven him. So in a sense, this story is like what happened- er what is happening to me haha.

Secondly, I wanted to thank all of you for reading my story. You don't know how much it meant to me. This chapter was actually going to be three separate ones, by the way, but I decided to just go out with a bang haha. So to Hacaili, it may not be five chapters in one, but it's darn close :D

Thirdly, Merry Christmas!

XxSesshomaruandRinxX: Well they confront today, but I don't know if Iruka will be happy about it muahaha :3  
CoriGray333: I would probably wait and see if Kakashi makes an attempt to work things out, then forgive him if he does haha, and thanks. You're welcome!  
stockings: Yeah, I laughed a lot at that one. When I was typing it, I kept thinking "I can't believe I'm typing this"  
chi-baka: I'm glad you got a kick out of it. Tachibana's a great comic relief lol  
Hacaili: Haha you'll just have to read XD  
A heart for you: Well your chants must have worked, because they're about to confront each other. But will it be good or bad? :)  
Only-you: I actually planned to just leave that aspect alone haha  
xoxShika-chanxox: I'm glad you liked them, and Merry Christmas to you too!  
Tale: Thanks!

(break)

"Kakashi," Denji stated firmly, grabbing the man's arm, "we're going right now."

"Quit it Denji!" Kakashi whined, sounding like a spoiled brat. "It's not the right time!"

"Kakashi quit making a scene!" the green haired male scolded sternly. "Everyone's looking at us."

"Well no shit Sherlock, it's because we're in the middle of the market. Besides, I was happily shopping, but you just had to come and ruin it."

"I'm trying to get your ass back on track, so come here," the smaller male commanded, violently pulling on the other's arm, successfully dragging the taller man behind him.

"I didn't even finish shopping!" Kakashi exclaimed, completely ignoring the staring faces around him, and the few sighs of awe from various young girls.

"It's too late to fight. We're already out of the store," Denji explained, snow falling gently onto his hat and face; watching as a scowl spread itself over the silver haired male's features. "Trust me, you'll thank me later when you and Iruka are back together, and you can finally pound him into the mattress."

"Denji!" Kakashi shouted, eyes widening in surprise. "How the hell can you say something like that?"

"Easily," the other replied. "Now are we going to get a move on, or will we be going to Iruka's house?"

"First of all, Iruka is staying at this one guy's house. I think his name is Ta... Tachiburu? No. Tachiwara? That doesn't sound right."

"Wait!" the short man interrupted. "Do you mean Tachibana?"

"Yeah, that's it," Kakashi said, snapping his fingers. "Do you know him?"

"Know him? We're actually kind of dating right now."

"And you didn't tell me this until now because?"

"Because I was too busy worrying about you and your shit-head mistakes," Denji replied flatly.

"Hmmm, good one. Well secondly, I'm going home. It's too fucking cold to do anything," Kakashi said, waving goodbye as he turned around to walk back towards his house, his shoes making a soft crunching sound as he stepped through the snow. "You can come too if you want. I have a few cans of beer in the fridge."

"Oh no you don't," Denji warned, running up to the other, grabbing his hand once again while tugging him in he direction of Tachibana's house. "If you were cold, you should have worn a scarf."

"You really are a persistent little midget, aren't you?" Kakashi teased, sighing in defeat.

"That's what I'm here for!"

"You can let go of my hand now."

"I don't trust you."

"You're smart."

"And you're dumb. Now that we've got that established, shut up and follow me."

"Yes ma'am," Kakashi bantered, receiving a sharp glare from the man in front.

"Ok... let's see," Denji said out loud to himself, "what was it again?"

"You forgot where his house was?"

"Nope, it's right over there," Denji stated, pointing to a large, regal house on top of a nearby hill, covered in a vast amount of snow. "It's actually really closer than it seems. We'll get there in a few steps, but I was actually trying to remember the code for the gate."

"A gate?" Kakashi asked in disbelief. "Is this guy rich? His house is so... big."

"Well he is a top notch chef."

"Do I really have to go? Can't it wait until tomorrow?" Kakashi queried, quickly changing the conversation, watching in slight fear as he approached the mansion-like house.

"Yes you really have to go," Denji answered tersely. "Shit Kakashi, it's been three months since you two talked, and it's Christmas Eve! Iruka at least deserves an explanation, but don't worry, I'll be right behind you to back you up. I'm not gonna let you take all of the blame," he reassured, stopping in front of the metal gate, releasing his grip on the other as he gingerly punched in the password. The gate beeped three times, before parting, opening up a short trail towards the waiter's door. Denji wrapped his hand around the other's wrist and pulled Kakashi behind him and up the hill, stopping once again when they reached the front door. "Ok, knock."

"I don't know how to do that," Kakashi lied, staring fearfully at the door in front of him. Denji pulled his pale hand up and slammed it a few times against the wooden door, causing the other to wince in slight pain. "You little fucker," Kakashi seethed between clenched teeth.

"Bite me," Denji hissed.

"Oh, you just wait until this is over."

"What are you gonna do? Insult me to death and- why hello," Denji greeted, once he saw a young man with a ponytail open the door. "Hi, I'm Denji. You must be Iruka," Denji said, holding his hand out to shake the other's.

"Ah, it's a pleasure to meet you," Iruka said, shaking the green haired man's hand, not noticing the pale figure standing beside him. "Oh! You must be the same Denji that Tachibana always talks about. He's absolutely crazy about you, haha. Come in come in!" Iruka said, motioning his hands for the man to enter, but froze when he saw Kakashi standing beside him. "I'm sorry, no dogs allowed," the tanned man seethed, glaring daggers at the pale man.

"Iruka, please," Kakashi begged, but was interrupted by a hand covering his mouth.

"Shut up," Denji demanded, causing the pale man to nod in slight shock. "Good. Iruka, Kakashi here wants to explain himself to you. I also have a few parts to add to his story, so may we please come in?"

"S-sure," Iruka stuttered out, averting his gaze from Kakashi's. The two stepped inside and seated themselves in the living room, Kakashi sitting next to Denji, while Iruka sat across from them. "Would you like some tea?"

"No thanks," Denji replied. "Iruka, before anything else is said, I would like to explain myself. I'm the one that Kakashi slept with."

"You... you're the one that he slept with?" Iruka repeated to no one in particular, refusing to believe a word he had just heard.

"Iruka, I know that that part of my explanation was straightforward, but I wanted to say that, so that no confusion would occur when I go into further delineation," Denji explained quietly, as if not to frighten the tanned man. Kakashi stared at the green haired man sitting beside him, not knowing whether to run, cry, yell, or be confused at the string of intelligible words that came out of the shorter's mouth. "Are you ready for my side of the explanation?" Iruka nodded slowly. "Ok. We had just stopped at an island to relax and pick up a few necessary food items and weapon supplies for the ship, when I spotted a bar and sort of dragged Kakashi in there with me to get drunk, against his will," Denji blatantly lied, not batting an eyelash as he completely ignored how Kakashi was injured and that it was the silver haired male's wish to get drunk. "We stayed there for a while, and had a few drinks too many. Not wanting to cause a scene in the middle of the street, since Kakashi looked as if he were about to pass out, I dragged him to the nearest hotel and rented a room. They only had one room with a single bed, so we had to take that. I honestly don't know what got over me, but I decided to take advantage of him at that opportunity, but even in the midst of that, Kakashi kept trying to point out that you two were engaged- but in drunken slur of course. I steered his thoughts away from that and managed to... well you know. The next morning, I woke up to see him just sitting there, eyes red and face emotionless. I asked him what was wrong, and that's when I remembered everything. He told me that he had not slept for most of the night, and that he needed some time to think, so I left him alone fro the rest of the stay. A little less than a month later, when we were on the ship, I apologized thoroughly to him, and he accepted, although he was a little cautious of me. You have no idea how long it took to win his trust back, and even now I don't have one hundred percent of it," Denji finally finished, praying that the other would remember the story in case Iruka asked any questions.

"So... you took advantage of him?" Iruka asked, glancing between the two across from him with weary eyes.

"Yes, and I'm so sorry. The truth is, I had always liked him from way back when, but I got over it eventually, or so I thought. He had mentioned to me on the first day about you- well he gushed about you, is the right phrase, and I was honestly and truly happy for him. My emotions weren't of jealousy or malice- or anything. I guess the alcohol just brought up a few unconscious feelings, and when mixed with poor judgment, led to that mistake. Iruka, this whole incident was my fault," the shorter male explained, glancing sideways at Kakashi, who was merely staring at him.

'Did all of that really happen?' Kakashi asked himself. 'Shit, I remember waking up in the middle of the night, but did Denji really take advantage of me. Why can't I remember?'

Iruka just stared at Denji for a while, before closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose and asking, "So you're the one who wrecked our relationship? Granted, Kakashi should have probably had better sense than to get shit drunk, but you're the primary reason fo all of this?"

"Yes," Denji whispered, glancing at Kakashi.

"He does that when he's trying to suppress his anger," Kakashi explained to Denji, who shrunk back into the sofa a little bit, trying to protect himself from a sudden outburst.

"I can't believe-" Iruka started, but was interrupted by a loud, clicking sound.

The front door slowly opened, and in came waltzing in a tall, young, blonde man, wearing a chef's hat- eyes closed as he hummed happily.

"Iruka," Tachibana called out in a sing-song voice, "I'm home!"

"Tachibana," Iruka said calmly, "we have company."

"Company?" the blonde asked, opening his eyes as he glanced around the living room. "Kakashi? And Denji?"

"Hey, Tachi," Denji greeted meekly, waving a small hello. "Kakashi, don't be rude. Say hi."

"Hi," Kakashi said in a monotone voice, eyes not leaving Iruka.

"Um, is this a bad time?" Tachibana asked shyly, taking off his hat and placing it on a nearby table. "I could always leave..."

"Wait!" Kakashi suddenly exclaimed, startling the other three. "You're the Tachibana that he's dating?" Kakashi questioned, pointing at Denji. "Wow, it's nice to finally meet you."

"Still slow as ever," Iruka mumbled under his breath, trying desperately to suppress a small smile.

Denji caught the slight upward quiver of the tanned man's lips and immediately leapt up and off of his seat,

"I think it would be best if Tachibana and I leave, and leave you two to talk things through, ne Tachi?" Denji asked, walking over to stand besides the waiter.

"Huh?" Tachibana repeated, earning a jab in the side from the smaller male. "I mean yea."

"Besides, it would give me and Tachi some time together to have a little talk ourselves," Denji finished, winking at the blonde so that he would catch onto the act.

"Yea, we have a lot of unfinished business to attend to, so I'll se you later Iruka. Good-bye, Kakashi," Tachibana said, opening the front door and walking out, Denji trailing close behind.

The door shut with a soft thud, leaving Kakashi and Iruka alone in the house.

* * *

"Ok, what exactly is going on?" Tachibana asked Denji, as the younger male leaned his ear against the door.

"Kakashi is trying to explain himself to Iruka, so that they can eventually kiss and make up," Denji whispered hurriedly, leaning in closer to hear any movement or conversation that might occur. "I don't think they're doing anything."

"They probably realize that a little someone is busy trying to eavesdrop," the waiter scolded, walking over to the crouching man and pulling him away from his door with one hand. "Come on, we should give them some space."

"But Tachi," the green haired male whined, sulking.

Tachibana released his grip on the other and watched as he stood up, crossing his arms while sulking even further.

"Come on, baby, you know I hate it when you make that face, but we really do need to give them some privacy so they can work things out. Besides, I would rather hear something a million times better," the blonde cooed, pulling the other close to him so that he could whisper in his ear.

"W-what's that?" Denji shyly asked, blushing furiously at the closeness.

"The sounds you make when I'm inside you," Tachibana purred, gently nibbling on the delicate ear in front of him.

"I-I... why don't we go somewhere more private?"

* * *

The two males stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, each not averting their gaze from the other. Time seemed to freeze, and the only sound that could be heard was the slow and uneasy breathing, and frenzied heart beats of the two.

"Kakashi," Iruka finally said, breaking the eerie silence, "is what all he said true?"

"Yes, Iruka," Kakashi replied, deciding to trust Denji's story after he himself could not remember the exact details of what had happened.

"But why did you make it sound like you were the one at fault when you confessed months ago?"

"If I said I got taken advantage of, I would have sounded utterly pathetic and stupid. I also couldn't stand to wait any longer to tell you, because the thought was nagging at me constantly. I did plan to explain further, but you kind of left," Kakashi stated, whispering the last sentence.

"Oh..."

"Iruka, you know I love you so much. Everyday without you has been like a living hell. I wanted to approach you so many times, but could never find the courage to, for fear of you rejecting me again. Iruka, I can't stand to lose someone dear to me, not again."

Iruka sighed softly and placed his elbow on the armrest of the chair, propping his head against his hand as he said, "Kakashi, what will I do with you?"

"Love me, feed me, and never leave me?" Kakashi answered with a hint of a playful tone, trying to coax the other into a lighter mood.

Iruka let a soft chuckle escape his lips, before quickly clasping his free hand across his mouth.

"Oh, who am I kidding?" he asked to no one in particular, removing his hand from his mouth. "I don't know if it's the lack of sleep talking for me or what, but I do admit that I sort of missed your humor."

"Sort of?" Kakashi queried sadly. "I guess it's a start."

"Come here," Iruka beckoned, patting the empty seat on the sofa next to him. Kakashi followed like an obedient dog and sat beside the other man, holding his breath as tanned hands wrapped around him in a warm hug. "I missed you," Iruka confessed, chuckling softly when the pale man finally let out his held breath and hugged him back, scooping him into his lap. "You and your never ending strength." Kakashi nuzzled the tanned neck in front of him, sighing in content at the current situation. "Just promise me one thing," Iruka pleaded.

"What is it?"

"Promise me you won't do it again, ok?"

"Trust me Iruka, it will never happen again. I never plan on getting that wasted... ever."

Iruka hummed happily as he leaned his head against the other's and thread his fingers through messy, silver hair.

"Good," he breathed out happily.

"So when are you gonna..." Kakashi began, but trailed of in slight fear.

"Gonna what? Move back?" Kakashi nodded his head slowly, causing the other's to move along too. "If it's not a problem with you, as soon as possible."

The older male smiled from ear to ear, finally feeling complete once again.

"Why don't you spend tonight with me, and then we'll get all of your belongings tomorrow." Iruka nodded ok. "By the way, where's Sango?" Upon hearing her name, the dog rushed out of a distant room in the back of the house and leapt up onto the chair next to Kakashi, immediately licking the man. "Ok, ok girl, it's great to see you too, haha." After Sango properly greeted the muscular man, she returned to her room, giving a few joyous barks before quieting down once again. "Nice to see that she's still as lazy as ever," Kakashi mused. "Why don't we go back to my house?" Kakashi offered, scooping the smaller male into his arms as he stood up and began walking towards the door.

"Kakashi!" Iruka yelled, kicking his feet slightly. "I can walk perfectly!"

"Haha, I know, but I missed doing this. Come here, Sango" the man beckoned, opening the door, letting Sango out as he followed close behind. He shut the door behind him and the three made their way back to Kakashi's house- finally able to complete their family once again.

* * *

"I still can't believe you carried me all the way here," Iruka laughed out, laughing even harder when Kakashi placed him onto their bed. The pale ninja crawled on top of him, steadying himself on his hands so he just hovered over the smaller male, as he rested his forehead against Iruka's. "I see you're still wearing that eye patch, haha."

"It still hurts to keep that eye open for too long, and besides, it make me look sexy and manly," Kakashi countered.

"It makes you look like a pirate."

"A sexy pirate."

"And you stopped hiding your face?"

"Iruka, everyone knows that my face- well my entire body and soul, belongs to you... and if they don't, I won't hesitate to tell them plainly that I'm happily taken."

"You know, I never threw away my ring. I always made sure I kept it with me," Iruka confessed, glancing away from the other man.

Kakashi leaned down to kiss his cheek, but stopped halfway, unsure whether or not the tanned man would allow him to do so.

'He let me carry him,' the pale man thought, 'so why wouldn't he-'

Iruka surprised Kakashi when he leaned up and kissed him fully on the lips, stilling all of the other's thoughts. Kakashi's heart beat rapidly as delicate lips gently moved against his own in a soft, chaste, yet loving kiss. Iruka pulled away and looked up at the man, giving a small smile.

"You think too much," the tanned man commented, cupping a strong chin with his hand.

"I've been accused of that so many times," Kakashi chuckled. "I'm glad you kept it. I was worried."

"I'm glad I kept it too. I just couldn't part with it, since it meant so much to me," Iruka said, a tear escaping his eye.

Kakashi kissed it away and wiped his love's eye with his thumb.

"Do you think Tachi... whatever is going to worry about you?" Kakashi suddenly asked.

"Tachibana? No, he shouldn't," Iruka responded after pondering the question for a while, running his thumb across the other's jaw line. "And if he does, well, too bad. I'm with you now, and that's all that matters."

Kakashi hummed softly in satisfaction, nuzzling the crook of the slender neck below him, and whispered, "I love you so much, you know that?"

"Prove it," Iruka answered, a hint of playfulness in his voice.

"What?" Kakashi asked, lifting his head up to gaze into un-wavering chocolate orbs.

"I want you to show me how much you love me," the smaller man whispered, a soft blush creeping over his cheeks.

Kakashi leaned down and kissed the heated cheek, before moving lower to nibble against the soft flesh of the other's neck.

"Wait," Iruka breathed out, watching silently as the silver haired male raised his head up. Tanned fingers delicately reached out and removed the eye patch, leaning over to place it on the nightstand before returning to his position. "There, that's better."

Kakashi leaned down once again and bit down gently on a sensitive spot on his love's neck, causing the man below to whimper softly. He licked the spot a few times before giving a sharp bite, startling the other and causing him to scream out in slight pain.

"Good," Kakashi said, staring in satisfaction at the mark he made. "Now everyone will know you're mine."

"Kakashi," Iruka panted out, eyes glazed over in love and lust, "I want you now."

Kakashi gulped lightly before thinking, 'Shit, this is just like the dream.'

He removed the other's burgundy sweater and tossed it onto the ground, marveling at the expanse of flesh before him when he was done.

"Damn, 'Ruru," Kakashi grunted out, "you're so beautiful." He reached up to pull the other's hair tie off and smiled when silky locks fell to frame the blushing face. "That's much, much better."

The pale man leaned down once again to take a dusky nipple into his mouth, rolling it teasingly between his lips, moving to the other when the first one became hardened. Once the two buds were to his standards, he flicked them with his tongue, blowing cool air on them when he was done, causing the younger to arch his back and thread his fingers through wild, silver hair.

"'Kashi," Iruka moaned out wantonly, "quit teasing... please..."

Kakashi smirked against the dark flesh before moving lower, leaving a trail of kisses as he went along. He stopped when he reached his love's denim jeans. With a slight nudge, he lifted Iruka's hips with one hand as he slid the offending garment off with the other, groaning loudly at the sight before him.

"Someone's eager," he teased lovingly, tracing his finger lightly along the outline of the other's erection, causing the organ to twitch against the smooth material of the boxers.

"Why... are you still... dressed? Not fair," Iruka whined softly, struggling to form coherent words under Kakashi's teasing actions.

Kakashi stilled his actions and reached down to the hem of his black sweater, pulling it over his head and tossing it onto the floor to join the other clothes.

"Better?"

"Much."

Kakashi trailed his right hand down the other's chest, before slipping it into Iruka's boxers and grabbing hold of his length- kissing the man at the same time. Iruka arched his back and moaned into his love's mouth at the sensation of cool hands on his heated flesh. Kakashi moved his hand up and down the length slowly, eliciting soft mewls and moans. He slid his thumb against the leaking tip, removing his mouth from the other's only to transfer it to his neck. The pale man suddenly stopped, causing Iruka to whine and thrust his hips up in desperation.

"I don't want your boxers getting in the way," Kakashi explained, chuckling as Iruka nodded unconsciously. He pulled off the tanned man's boxers easily, also deciding to rid himself of his own remaining clothes. "Now I can see every little twitch of that beautiful cock," he cooed, wrapping his hand around the throbbing flesh once again as he sat back on his heels to take in the view.

"K-Kakashi," Iruka panted out, "what about you?"

"This is all about you my love," Kakashi purred out, leaning down to swiftly kiss swollen lips. "I want to prove to you how much I love you."

Iruka gasped out loud when the tip of his cock was teased, fingers tangling themselves into the sheet below.

"L-lube," he groaned out in need.

Kakashi reached over to the nightstand drawer and pulled out a small bottle, quickly coating two of his fingers with the slick substance before moving it to the tanned man's quivering entrance.

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah," Iruka said, spreading his legs a little wider to allow better access. Kakashi slowly inserted a finger, moving it around slowly inside the other until Iruka was ready for another. Once he felt that the smaller man was well prepared, he placed a generous amount of the substance onto his own aching length and aligned himself with Iruka's entrance, leaning over the other to capture his lips in a passion filled kiss. "Be gentle," Iruka begged, breaking away from the heated kiss and turning his head away in embarrassment. "I haven't... since you left."

Kakashi groaned softly and whispered, "Don't worry, I'll take it slow." He pushed himself slowly into the man below, stopping when he was buried all the way. "Iruka," he grunted out, closing his eyes tightly at the wonderful feeling of the younger's walls clamping down fiercely around his cock. "Fuck, 'Ruru, you're so tight."

"Nng 'Kashi," Iruka moaned out, mouth open in a silent cry, eyes screwed shut. "So big..." Kakashi bent down to further embrace the man, capturing his lips in a comforting kiss. Once he felt Iruka shift his hips experimentally, he began a slow pace, slowly thrusting in and out of the smaller body in search of the spot that would make the tanned man cry out in pleasure. "Ahh!" Iruka suddenly yelled, arching his back while digging his nails into the pale man's back, leaving red streaks behind. "There! Do it again, ah!"

Kakashi grunted a few times before speeding up his pace, angling his thrusts so that the tip of his length brushed against the other's pleasure spot.

"Iruka," the silver haired male said breathlessly, beginning to lose all rhythm as he felt a familiar sensation beginning to coil and build within his stomach.

"'Kashi," Iruka whimpered, "I'm... Nn!" Kakashi began to thrust further into Iruka, reaching in between them to pump the brown haired male's forgotten length. "Kakashi!" Iruka yelled, as he came, shaking at the pure intensity of the orgasm. Kakashi thrusted a few more times before he came, biting down on the other's neck as his body shook with his own orgasm. He sighed in content and pulled out, rolling over onto his back as he brought Iruka on top of him. "Wow..." Iruka whispered. "Wow."

"Haha, I'll take that as a compliment," Kakashi chuckled out, running his finger's through the exhausted man's hair. "I think the neighbors might have heard us, though."

"Then that means everything is back to normal," Iruka giggled, yawning as he snuggled further into the warm, muscular chest below.

Kakashi smiled out of pure bliss and stated, "This is a great end to Christmas Eve. You back in my arms- you back home."

"Wait," Iruka said, partly lifting his body up so that he could directly look at the other. "Today's Christmas Eve?"

"Haha, yeah. Lost track of time?"

"Oh man, oh man, I left all of my gifts at Tachi's place and- damn it! I didn't get you a gift!" Iruka panicked, trying to roll off of Kakashi so that he could dress. "I have to go to the store before it closes!"

Kakashi tightened his grasp on the writhing man and laughed.

"You're my Christmas present, 'Ruru," the pale man said, smiling affectionately at the other. "As long as I have you I don't need anything else."

"Kakashi, you baka," Iruka teasingly scolded, laying his head back down onto the other's chest.

"But I'm your idiot."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Iruka laughed out, laughing even harder when the two dogs came rushing into their room and jumped onto the bed. "I guess they figured it was safe to come in now."

"Haha, hold on you two," Kakashi said, scooting himself up so that his back was propped up against the back board of the bed, dragging Iruka along, who slid off slightly to the side to allow the two dogs more space. The pale man pulled up the sheets to cover their lower halves, beckoning the two dogs to follow. Sango and Pakkun hurriedly crawled into the small space between the two males promptly fell asleep. "This is like a scene out of a movie."

"Yeah," Iruka agreed, giving a loud yawn. "You know Tachibana's going to figure everything out and tell everyone, right?"

"If he didn't, I would have."

"Haha. Merry Christmas 'Kashi. Oh! About our wedding," Iruka began with a small smirk, "I expect you to wear the dress."

"Do you know how weird I'd look? I don't have sexy curves like you," he explained, causing Iruka to blush slightly, "but our wedding will be whatever and however you'd like it to be."

"I love you," the tanned man yawned out, closing his eyes.

"I love you too. Merry Christmas Iruka," Kakashi said, closing his eyes to join the other in a blissful slumber.

(break)

Thank you all for reading! I honestly had to do edit this chapter while watching comedy central so I wouldn't cry haha. Merry Christmas to all of you! And if you want a special story request, please let me know and I'll write it! :)


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